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.
CHAPTER 9
Iran nearly half a mile, which was a new record for me. I was still clutching my bloody paper towel and panting pretty intensely when I slipped into a coffee shop on Main Street. I took a seat at one of the evergreen booths and pulled out my phone, using the front-facing camera to wipe off the blood staining my lips.
Once I finally looked somewhat normal, I opened my Uber app and prayed Big Bear had drivers who could take me to my cabin. With trembling fingers, I typed in my address and ordered a ride home. Grateful tears stung the corners of my eyes when it was successful. The app notified me that someone named Sara would be arriving in just a few minutes.
I leaned back against the booth’s plastic-cushioned seat, my heart still racing, just as a barista approached me.
“Can I get you anything?” The blonde girl wore a perky ponytail and an equally perky smile, along with a cute apron that made her look like she’d just stepped off the set ofFriends.
“Could I just get an ice water, please?” I knew only ordering water might be annoying, but I was in the middle of a crisis and could only hope the girl would be understanding.
“Of course, I’ll be right back with that,” the girl replied unfazed before heading off to get the water.
I let out an exhausted sigh as the waitress disappeared, then fumbled for my phone again to quickly type a message to Emily with trembling fingers.
HOPE: You’re not going to believe what my neighbor does for a living.
Em: Oh no, is he a drug lord?
HOPE: Worse. He’s a dentist.
“Just because he’s a dentist doesn’t mean he’s a horrible person,” Emily said on the other end of the line.
I was back home now, inside my cabin with all the curtains drawn. I was terrified to step outside, in case Dr. Alarcón was out jogging with Luna.
“Emily, I came to Big Bear to get away from dentistry.”
Out of all the things my neighbor could have been, a dentist was the worst.
“Maybe, just maybe, he’s not like the rest of them.”
But that’s where Emily was wrong.
“No. Dentists just suck, Em. Plain and simple.” My jaw tightened as anxiety bubbled up in my stomach, and memories of that horrible day three months ago resurfaced.
“Okay, but if I hadn’t gone to the orthodontist, I’d be amillion times uglier. So, I’m kind of grateful for dentistry, in a way.”
“Okay, orthodontics is completely different from general dentistry,” I said as I got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen to make some mac and cheese for dinner.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not.” I sighed as I boiled some water and took out the cheese packet. I switched the phone to my other ear. “Orthodontists are like the cool uncle.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You know, the cool uncle. They always own helicopters and take their staff on trips to Fiji. Orthodontists are cool.”
I could’ve sworn I heard Emily rolling her eyes on the other end of the line.
“Do I even want to know what general dentists are in this metaphorical family you’ve conjured up for dental specialties?”
