Chapter 8 #2
Jay slipped his keys into his pocket and headed toward the back door. “This way,” he said, holding it open.
“Shouldn’t we wait for someone?” I asked, tugging the paper towel from my mouth. “Maybe there’s just one person working in the evening, and they’re in the back?” My voice betrayed my nervousness.
“Nope. It’s just us,” he said, striding into the clinical area with unusual confidence. I followed, my heartbeat picking up a bit.
“Are we… breaking and entering?” I asked, confused. If they were closed, wouldn’t it have been locked?
“No. I have a key,” he said, completely unfazed. I blinked, trying to reconcile the fact that Jay had a key to this empty dental clinic. I still wasn’t sure what was going on. Or maybe I was just in denial.
“Why do you have a key?”
Jay didn’t answer. Instead, he started pressing buttons and switches. He turned on the X-ray machine and booted up the computer system like he’d done it a thousand times. My brow furrowed as I peeked around the clinical area, every detail somehow adding to the chaos in my brain.
“Sit down. Let’s get an X-ray,” he said once all the machines were up and running. I perched on the chair, clutching my paper towel still, wondering if I’d accidentally wandered into one of my nightmares.
“Jay, what is going on?” I was so stunned that I didn’t even protest when he slipped the sensor into my mouth.
A few seconds later, the X-ray flashed on the screen. Jay leaned over, studying it calmly. “No fracture,” he said. “Just a little movement. The ligament will tighten back up in a few days.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”
He turned toward me, that infuriatingly composed expression still not budging.
I laughed nervously, pointing at the screen. “Okay, wait. How do you even know what you’re looking at right now?”
The corner of his mouth lifted, a slow, teasing grin. “This is my office, Hope.”
I blinked. “Your office?”
He nodded once. “Yeah. I’m a dentist.”
For a long moment, I just stared. “You’re a dentist? No. No, you can’t be a dentist.” I couldn’t hide the horrified expression on my face or the breathlessness in my voice.
Jay’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”
“Because—because I thought you were a doctor,” I sputtered. “Like a real doctor.”
His eyebrow arched. “You don’t think dentists are real doctors?”
“I mean, not—ugh, that’s not what I meant!” I threw my hands up. “I thought you were a podiatrist! For days I’ve been picturing you removing ingrown toenails!” I was clearly losing it in front of him, but I was too shocked to care.
His lips twitched like he was holding in a laugh. “A podiatrist?” He tilted his head, feigning deep thought. “So let me get this straight. You were totally fine imagining me digging out someone’s crusty toenail, but you draw the line at a little blood and spit?”
I ignored his playful tone, unable to see the humor in the situation.
“So, this is your office?”
“This is my office, yes,” he said, gesturing casually to the gleaming clinic around us.
My brain felt like it was short-circuiting, still catching up, and refusing to believe he was actually my worst nightmare.
He was a dentist.
“Oh no.” I straightened abruptly, the paper towel slipping from my shaking hand.
Jay frowned slightly. “Oh no?”
“This can’t be happening.” The sterile scent of disinfectant hit me full force, and I suddenly felt trapped. He’s a dentist. The very thing I’d run away from.
I spun toward the door. “I, um—I have to go.”
“Wait, what?”
“I just remembered something really important I have to do at home,” I stammered, already halfway to the exit.
“Hope, slow down.”
But I didn’t. I pushed through the glass door to the outside, gulping in the mountain air, trying to get a full breath. But my heart was pounding, my fingers starting to go numb. If I didn’t get out of here, I would end up in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.
I was halfway across the parking lot when I felt his hand close gently around my wrist.
“Hey, Amapolita. Relájate,” Jay said softly. “What’s going on? Did I say something wrong?”
I turned, eyes darting to where his hand held me. The last time someone in scrubs had grabbed my arm like that, it hadn’t been gentle.
I swallowed hard. “I just—I need to get home.”
He let go instantly. “Okay. That’s fine. You just look scared.”
“I’m not,” I lied, my breath hitching. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day. I hit myself in the face with a hammer. It’s just been a lot.”
Jay tilted his head, brow furrowing. “Hope, if I did something.”
“You didn’t,” I said too quickly. “Really, you didn’t. It’s me. I just—” My voice cracked, and I forced a smile, but it was more of a grimace. “I can’t do this right now.”
“Do what?” His brow furrowed, genuine bewilderment in his eyes.
Be around another dentist, I screamed in my mind.
But all I managed was, “Thanks for helping me with my tooth. I’ll get an Uber.”
Then I spun around again, having no idea where I was going—just knowing I needed to get away.
I heard him mutter something in Spanish under his breath, then his footfalls were close behind me again. “An Uber? Hope, let me take you home.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, please. I would rather you not.”
“Hope—”
I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think past the pounding in my ears.
“I’m sorry.” I knew he probably thought I was utterly insane. But I didn’t care. My fingers going numb and my tongue tingling were all I could think about. I just needed to get somewhere I could calm down.
And before he could say another word, I picked up my pace and started to run.
My shoes slapped against the sidewalk, and the cool mountain air burned my lungs. I didn’t stop until his voice faded behind me.
“Hope!”
I didn’t look back.