Olive wakes after dozing post-sex and finds Adam still beside her, attentive and gentle. They banter, wrestle off her socks, and fall back into kissing. When Olive frets about cleaning up, Adam takes care of her, bringing her to another climax. He asks to have sex again, but immediately backs off when she says she is sore. Olive insists on staying up together, determined to make the most of their one night.

She initiates oral sex for the first time. Adam hesitates and tries to slow her, but her persistence and responsiveness lead him to climax. They hold each other and drift into a brief sleep.

Awake again, they talk quietly. Olive learns the book Adam is reading is in Dutch, and he describes growing up bilingual with distant, work-absorbed parents and many au pairs, later befriending Holden. They trade phrases in Dutch and swap scar stories; Olive recalls a childhood snowstorm and says she misses snow. Adam mentions Boston’s winters and suggests future hikes together.

When Olive notes he will be in California, Adam admits there is a chance he will move to Boston. He reveals he is interviewing at Harvard and is staying after the conference; the conference served as cover to avoid arousing Stanford’s suspicion. He explains his reasons: proximity to his parents and, mainly, working in the same department as Tom to advance their grant-related research.

Rocked by the revelation and still hiding Tom’s assault, Olive keeps her composure. Adam offers to help her acclimate to Boston and Tom’s lab. She asks when he leaves—early—and resolves to forgo sleep and savor what she believes will be their last night together.