The Tooth Hurts

My tooth had been staging a week-long protest, and I’d finally decided to negotiate.

Of all the dental chairs in all the city, I had to end up in my ex-boyfriend’s.

He wore a poker face, his voice flat. Open up.

A moment later, the verdict. It can't be saved. You need a root canal, then a crown. Thirty-five hundred.

My whole body went rigid.

Holy shit. That’s half a month’s salary.

How could the same mouth I had once kissed so passionately utter something so clinically cold?

My voice trembled. "Is there… any way to make it cheaper?"

My ex-boyfriend, Dr. Leo Carter, arched an eyebrow.

"Sure," he said. "It's free for family."

1

After a combined assault of ibuprofen and amoxicillin failed to quell the rebellion in my jaw, I finally waved the white flag and booked an appointment. I chose the closest in-network dentist my insurance would cover.

When I told my best friend, Jenna, she decided to reward my bravery.

She hired me a male model for moral support.

"Okay, babe," she texted, "Kaden will be there tomorrow to hold your hand. If the pain gets too bad, just focus on his abs."

The next day, I managed to coax myself out the door. I had to admit, having company was different. Kaden was ridiculously sweet, a non-stop charm offensive that actually managed to distract me from my impending doom.

Until the nurse called my name.

"Maya Chen."

My heart hammered against my ribs. I walked stiffly toward the exam room, my steps leaden. The moment I saw the doctor, I spun on my heel and bolted.

Who in their right mind wants to run into their ex when they’re at their most vulnerable?

I was halfway down the hall before Kaden and the nurse caught up, blocking my escape.

"Hey, you were so close," Kaden said, his voice a smooth balm.

"Where are you going?" the nurse asked, grabbing my other arm.

I was escorted back like a prisoner, one on each side.

Leo Carter sat on a rolling stool, methodically pulling on a pair of latex gloves. A surgical mask hid the lower half of his face, but the cool indifference in his eyes was exactly as I remembered.

He frowned at the commotion, then looked up. "What’s going on?"

His eyes met mine, and a flicker of surprise crossed his features. He asked again, his voice a low rumble. "What is it?"

Kaden patted the back of my hand. "It's okay, Maya. I'm right here."

Leo’s eyes narrowed. It was his tell. The signal for deep annoyance. His gaze dropped to where Kaden’s hand rested on mine.

"Family only in the exam room," he said, his voice clipped. "You can wait outside."

My brain was a chaotic mess of panic and old memories; I didn't even register his choice of words. I just trudged over to the chair and lay down like a patient on death row.

"It's the lower left," I mumbled.

"Open."

The cold metal of an instrument grazed my cheek, sending a shiver through me.

"Don't move."

My hand shot out, grabbing the hem of his white coat.

"Does this hurt?" he asked, probing.

A strangled noise escaped my throat.

"You have a cavity," he stated, withdrawing. "We need to get an X-ray."

As he stood up, my hand fell away, clutching at empty air. The nurse appeared at my side. "Come with me."

A few minutes later, I was back in the chair.

Leo stared at the image on the computer screen, his brow furrowed. "It's a deep one. The decay has reached the pulp, it's infected. You need a root canal."

My world collapsed. I’d done my research before coming. Everyone said a root canal was torture. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair.

Leo continued to explain the procedure, his voice a clinical drone. Only his last sentence snapped me back to reality.

"It's your lower left molar. You'll want a crown on it afterward. Otherwise, it could fracture when you're eating. If it cracks, the only option is to pull it and get an implant."

My eyes flew open. I couldn't afford to wallow in self-pity.

"How much is a crown?" I asked, my voice tight. "Does my insurance cover it?"

"I'd recommend the thirty-five-hundred-dollar option. It’s the best value. It's an imported material, so insurance won't cover it."

My whole body went rigid.

Half a month’s salary. Holy shit.

How could the same mouth I had once kissed with such searing heat utter something so clinically cold?

My voice trembled. "Is there… any way to make it cheaper?"

Leo arched an eyebrow. "Sure. It's free for family."

2

Leo was a year ahead of me in college.

He was the undisputed, untouchable king of the dental school. I saw him for the first time during freshman orientation, standing in the middle of a chaotic crowd. He was holding the department banner, ignoring every single person with an equal, democratic disdain.

That intense, brooding energy, the sheer force of his aloofness—it hit me like a lightning strike.

I asked around. The consensus was unanimous: don't even bother. Leo Carter's photo had already been posted on the university's unofficial Instagram page eight times in three days during orientation week. The number of people who came to "casually" see him in person was insane. The line of girls who had tried and failed to get his attention was at least a hundred long.

But I was stubborn. His name was Leo Carter. It sounded like something out of a romance novel.

I shamelessly threw myself at him for a whole year. Finally, at the start of my sophomore year, I caught his eye.

I'd been getting nowhere, and in a fit of frustration, I'd scheduled a swim day with Jenna. On autopilot, I sent him a picture of me in my new bikini before my brain caught up.

It was too late to unsend.

Leo: I saw it.
Leo: Please don’t send me things like that again.
Leo: …
Leo: And it’s probably not a good idea for a girl to go swimming alone with a guy.
Leo: I don't mean anything by it. Just a reminder.

It was the most he’d ever written to me.

I looked over at Jenna—my 5'10" best friend who'd just buzzed her hair for the summer and lived in oversized, gender-neutral streetwear.

I started to laugh.

Later, with a little coordinated teamwork from me and Jenna, Leo was finally mine.

Once we were official, he was, just as I'd predicted, incredibly passionate. Aside from being a man of few words, he was perfect.

But his lack of words was also the source of most of our fights. He was a vault. You couldn't kick a single word out of him. Most of the time, our arguments ended with him making some silent gesture of apology, usually followed by a silent, smoldering seduction.

And I, pathetically, would always give in.

The underlying problems were just swept under the rug.

3

Then came my graduation.

He was at the dental hospital, studying for his board exams, buried in work. I was at my internship, dealing with a nightmare of a boss.

I came home one evening to our empty apartment feeling a bone-deep exhaustion I'd never known before. It wasn't just physical; my soul was tired. All the issues we’d ignored for so long felt like a lit fuse.

I was desperate for a fight, for any kind of emotional release.

But Leo wouldn't engage.

He just quietly placed a container of takeout in front of me. "Maya, let's talk when you've calmed down."

Calm down? That’s the last thing I wanted.

I hated when he was like this. So eternally calm, so unshakable. Sometimes I wondered if he even liked me, or if he'd only agreed to date me to stop my relentless pursuit.

But then I’d remember what he was like in bed, and it was so much more than just tolerance.

I was constantly confused, constantly telling myself to just hold on a little longer.

But that day, I was done.

Leo came out of the shower and started unpacking the takeout for me.

I turned my head away. "Leo," I said, my voice flat. "Let's break up."

The man's hands froze.

He said, "Okay."

Fuck.

I was furious. Why couldn't he just grab me, pin me against the wall, and kiss me until I couldn't breathe? Why couldn't he tell me we would never, ever break up?

The unvented emotions turned inward, twisting like a knife in my gut.

I pulled it out myself.

And just like that, our relationship was over.

The apartment we’d found together, he left to me. We’d signed a three-year lease; there were still two and a half years left when we broke up.

Traces of him would pop up unexpectedly. His worn-out sweatshirt in the back of the closet, his favorite mug behind mine. He was embedded in every corner of my life. There was no escaping it. Each discovery was a fresh pang in my chest.

And now, here he was, saying, "It's free for family."

Call me crazy, but my mind was already racing.

"Dr. Carter," I began, my voice laced with a hope I couldn't suppress, "are you implying what I think you're implying?"

"I have no idea what you're implying," he said, his tone back to neutral. "Are we ready to start the procedure?"

I pouted, but obediently settled back in the chair.

4

"Open up."

"Is the pain severe?"

I made a noncommittal sound.

Just then, Kaden, who must have been lurking right outside, burst into the room and knelt by my other side.

"Don't be scared, Maya. I'm here for you."

Leo's face darkened. The instrument in his hand gently—or not so gently—poked my decayed tooth.

"Ah!"

Tears sprang to my eyes from the sharp jolt of pain. I shot him an accusatory glare.

He coolly averted his gaze. "Doesn't seem that bad. We can skip the anesthetic."

You have got to be kidding me! I'm filing a complaint!

I cursed him out in every language I knew inside my head. On the outside, however, I didn't dare provoke him further. I was terrified he'd actually follow through.

"Doctor, I think I'd like the shot," I managed to say.

Leo looked down at me, his expression unreadable, dark bangs shadowing his cold eyes. He signaled to the nurse.

"Please escort the non-essential personnel out."

Kaden looked back at me three times as he was led away.

Leo let out a quiet, sharp scoff.

In the end, I got the anesthetic.

Two shots of it.

Gradually, half of my face went numb. The buzzing sound of the drill started up inside my mouth. I zoned out, letting my mind drift.

Suddenly, Leo spoke.

"That boyfriend of yours doesn't seem like much."

What? He wasn't my boyfriend. But my tongue was numb too, so I couldn't say anything.

"Don't move," he commanded.

Right. I got it now. He was deliberately taking advantage of the fact that I couldn't speak.

"If you'd come in two months ago, you wouldn't have needed a root canal."

"He's not very attentive to you."

"He calls you by your first name... a younger guy?"

"A year post-breakup and your taste has changed that fast, huh?"

"How long have you two been together?"

I still couldn't form a single word. As his questions continued, my brain started to go numb, too.

5

After what felt like an eternity, he leaned back, stretching his neck.

"Alright. Come back in a week."

"And try not to chew on this side."

"Some mild pain after the anesthetic wears off is normal."

"Try to bear it. If you can't, let me know."

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and displayed a QR code. When we broke up, I had blocked and deleted him from everything.

I took out my phone and scanned it. It looked like a work account. The profile picture was a cartoon cat in green scrubs and a mask. His feed was just an endless scroll of other people's teeth.

I thought for a moment, then typed out the most important thing first.

He's not my boyfriend.

"Who cares," he said out loud, not even looking at me.

Oh, you cared enough to run a full interrogation a minute ago. His mouth might be saying one thing, but I bet he was secretly thrilled.

I kept typing on my phone.

How much is it for today?

"We'll settle the bill at the end."

Right. We'll see if I even have to pay in the end.

Just then, Kaden, seeing that I was done, rushed back in, his eyes wide with concern.

"Maya, are you okay? Does it hurt? Want to touch my abs to feel better?"

Leo, who was standing nearby, heard every word.

"Seven hundred," he said flatly. "Pay at the front desk."

I couldn't help but smile, a lopsided, numb grin. My fingers flew across the screen.

I thought we were settling it at the end?

"I've changed my mind."

Kaden looked confused. "Doctor, what are you talking about?"

Leo shot him a withering look and turned on his heel, walking away.

Kaden muttered under his breath, "Wow, Maya. That guy is so rude."

On the way home, Kaden drove. I sat in the passenger seat, feeling the numbness slowly recede. I started typing again.

Dr. Carter, my tooth hurts.

Mild pain is normal.

You said to let you know if it hurts. I'm letting you know, and it still hurts.

On his end, the three dots kept appearing and disappearing: Typing...

Finally, a single sentence came through.

If it's too severe, come back in.

I thought for a second, then replied:

I heard your clinic offers house calls.

Leo: We don't. If it hurts, come here yourself.

Tsk. I pouted. He was playing the exact same hard-to-get game as when I was first chasing him.

6

When we got to my building, Kaden offered to walk me up. He was quite the professional.

But as he stepped out of the elevator, a passing kid tripped and spilled a carton of milk all over him. The child's parent rushed over, apologizing profusely.

"It's okay, it's okay," Kaden said. "I'll just go change."

He was soaked, shirt and pants. It looked incredibly uncomfortable. I’d actually grown to like him over the past few hours.

So I said, "I have some clothes here you can probably wear. If you don't mind changing?"

The clothes were Jenna's, left here from a sleepover. She wore ridiculously oversized everything, stuff that would fit most guys.

Kaden scratched his head. "Would that be too much trouble?"

"Not at all."

He went straight into the bathroom when we got inside. I tossed my phone on the sofa and went to find him some clothes, completely missing the frantic flashing from the little green cat icon.

I get off work soon. It's on my way.
I can come by and take a look.

A moment later.

I'm off.
Heading over now.

I finally unearthed a set of Jenna’s clothes from the depths of my closet. Kaden took them with a shy smile. It was only then that I saw the messages on my phone.

Without a second thought, I replied: The code's the same.

Suddenly, a sharp shriek came from the bathroom.

"Ahhh—"

It was followed by a loud crash.

I ran over. "What happened?"

"Oh god, Maya, I slipped! The slipper is stuck on my ankle!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Just… come out."

A single leg emerged from the bathroom doorway. A pink fluffy slipper was wedged tightly around his ankle.

"Maya, can you help me get it off?"

I had to fight a powerful urge to laugh, mostly because my face was still stiff.

"Come all the way out."

Kaden poked his head out, his face a mixture of shame and helplessness. "I'm so sorry."

"Okay, look. I'll pull the slipper, you pull your leg. On three. One, two, three."

"Okay."

7

"One, two, THREE!"

I gripped the edges of the slipper and yanked with all my might. Kaden pulled his leg back at the same time.

CRASH.

He lost his balance completely and went down again. The momentum of the slipper sent me flying forward, landing right on top of him.

It was not an elegant position.

At that exact moment, my front door was thrown open with force.

"Maya! What happened?!"

Leo stood in the doorway, his face etched with panic. "I heard a loud noise…"

His voice trailed off as he took in the scene. His expression slowly hardened into a thunderous mask.

I scrambled to get up, but I put weight on my numb arm, and it gave out. I collapsed right back onto Kaden.

Leo's sharp gaze cut between the two of us. He let out a self-deprecating little laugh and pulled the door shut behind him.

I could have cried.

Dude, come on! At least give me a chance to explain!

Kaden carefully helped me to my feet. The ridiculous pink slipper was still stuck to his ankle.

"Maya, I'm so sorry. I'll buy you a new pair."

I waved him off, my mind elsewhere. "Don't worry about it, I have plenty. You should just go."

Kaden looked mortified. "Okay, I'm really going. Please remember to give me a five-star review, or my manager will dock my pay."

"I know, I will."

He left, taking my pink slipper with him. I opened my chat with Leo's green cat avatar.

I was just helping him pull off a slipper.

The message was met with a bright red exclamation point.

Ugh.

8

A week later, I booked another appointment.

"Lie back. Open."

I seized my chance. "That day, I was really just trying to help him get his slipper off."

Leo was a machine, devoid of emotion. "I know. Open."

Open, open, that's all you ever say. It was the same when we were dating.

I shot him a wounded look. He ignored it completely.

"Is it still hurting?"

"No."

The familiar buzzing and whirring started in my mouth. Then a scraping, filing sound. Something was being shaped and cleaned. I let my unfocused gaze drift to his face.

Leo's brow was slightly furrowed in concentration. His hands moved with practiced precision.

"Stop staring at me."

"And keep your tongue still."

The nurse assisting him chuckled. "Dr. Carter, you've still got it. All the young women love you."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to smile without moving my mouth.

After the session, the swelling in my tooth was almost gone. Leo was typing notes into the computer.

"Come back in another week," he instructed. "And keep avoiding this side when you eat."

"Doctor, I was really just trying to help him with the slipper that day."

"We don't have any kind of relationship. You don't need to explain it to me."

"You said the same thing when I was chasing you."

"That was then. We're broken up now. You're the one who ended it."

"I regret it."

A crack finally appeared in Leo's calm facade. "One year and twenty-eight days, and now you decide you regret it?"

He stood up and walked out of the exam room without another word.

I thought for a moment, then went to the front desk and got a sticky note.

Doctor, can you please unblock me? My tooth was killing me last time and I couldn't even reach you.

I stuck it squarely on his computer monitor.

9

That evening, I sent a random emoji to his chat, just to see if the red exclamation point was still there.

It was. That petty man was still holding a grudge.

Come to think of it, I'd noticed when we were dating that Leo was actually incredibly petty. If I talked to another guy at a club meeting for two minutes too long, he'd get jealous and pin me against a wall, kissing me until I begged him to stop.

Now, all I got was a red exclamation point.

I sighed, spooning some broth into my mouth and carefully tilting my head to the side so it wouldn't touch the treated tooth.

I opened another chat window. It was the personal number of the receptionist at the clinic. After a few days of determined effort, we had become fast friends.

Amy! Amy! How's Dr. Carter today?

REPORT! He's working late, bad mood. I've already heard five patients whispering about how cold he is.

I grinned at my phone.

Is the hospital's complaint box just full of complaints about him?

Most of them are addressed to him, yeah. But they're mostly love letters.

?

What? Who puts love letters in a complaint box? Could he even see them? I imagined the hospital board meeting, someone pulling out a scented pink envelope. What would Leo’s reaction be?

Suddenly, a flood of messages came from Amy.

LEO'S LEAVING WORK!
HE'S WALKING TOWARD A GORGEOUS WOMAN!
HE'S GETTING IN HER CAR!

I shot up, grabbed my jacket, and headed for the door.

I'm on my way!

Too late, they're gone. Nothing but exhaust fumes.

Amy also sent a photo. It was blurry, taken in a hurry. But through the partially open car window, I could see Leo's face. He looked happy. His usually sharp, severe features were softened. If the picture were any clearer, I was sure I'd see the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

I froze, my hand falling from the doorknob. I slid down the door and sat on the floor.

I opened Leo's chat window again. I typed and deleted, typed and deleted.

Finally, I sent just two words.

You there?

Message failed.

Ugh. The red exclamation point seemed to mock me, stabbing at my eyes.

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