Page 71 of Play Nice

He beelines across the yard toward me.

“Clio…” he says, jaw clenched. He grabs the book from my hand and ushers me inside.

“Give that back,” I say.

“Where did you find this?” he asks, leading me back to his study. He closes the door behind us.

“You know where. In your desk drawer,” I say. “That’s mine. She left it for me.”

He flips it open, looking for something specific. He finds it. “Look. You want this? You wanted this?”

I step forward so I can read the page.

I’m glad you called us. With all our experience, I feel confident in our assessment,” said Ruth. “We can help. But we shouldn’t delay the exorcism. I believe the demon has taken an interest in your daughter, Cici. CLIO

“Can’t you see? She was out of her mind,” Dad says, releasing the page. The book flutters shut. “Clio Louise. Come on.”

I’m shivering, cold to my bones. I might throw up.

“I know it’s upsetting. I know it’s hard. But I didn’t want you to see this. I found it when I went to meet with the exterminator. It was in the closet of your old room. She put it there on purpose so you would think…I don’t know.”

“It’s the same handwriting,” I say, reaching for the book. “Let me see.”

“Clio. Stop,” he says, pulling it away from me. He holds it behind his back.

“Dad. Please.”

“This is exactly what she wanted,” he says. “Don’t you see that?”

He’s wrong, and it makes me so angry I could spit fire. “You cheated on her.”

“What?” he says. He sighs and shakes his head. “Great. Perfect.”

“You did. Just admit it.”

“I won’t. It’s not true,” he says. “She had no proof.”

“Just because she didn’t have proof doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

He’s looking at me like he’s never looked at me before. With contempt. It’s like he’s wearing a different face. “You sound just like her.”

He means it as an insult, so I’ll take it as a compliment. “Good.”

“Clio,” he says. “You don’t want this. I’m protecting you.”

“But I don’t want protection. I want honesty,” I say, stepping toward him.

“You won’t find it in here,” he says, his eyes dark. “She’s turning you against me.”

He’s out of the room.

“Dad? Where are you going? Dad…”

I step out into the hall and catch a glimpse of him turning the corner. I follow him.

He’s going outside.

“Dad!”