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Not that I believed evil existed solely because Ten Club was created It was like King had said: evil would always exist But this? Ten Club was a cancer

In short, s happen Neither sounded great

After a short plane ride on King’s private jet, which he’d so generously left on standby for me back in Miami, I arrived to my dad’s house via Uber

Funny Why did I say “my dad’s” house? I still lived here Officially Maybe it didn’t feel like o, I was nothing more than a little mouse everyone wanted to stomp on

I lugged reen ranch-style home with neatly pruned trees and a freshly ain For htmare of weeds Inside hadn’t beenall the ti and yardwork had taken a back seat Now everything looked spotless and cheery It felt good having Dad back, living life and driving trucks again Work was important to him

“Dad? Where’re you? I’m home!” He was supposed to be off on Sundays

“Jeni, that you?” he called out “In my bedroom!”

I followed the short hallway past my small roo thearm curls in the mirror by the closet, his sandy blond hair all sweaty

I tried not to laugh “Hey What’s going on?”

“Ah Trying to get a littlehome so early?”

I’d lied and told him I’d taken a temp job in San Francisco for a feeeks becauseI wanted to try the city on for size

I sat on Dad’s springy queen-size bed “Actually, I came home because I need to talk”

“Uh-oh I know that look, Jeni Soht brown eyes ide, and he set the dunant, aren’t you?”

Dah, I looked down at the floor “Yes, but—”

“Jeni!” Dad darted over and leaned dorapping his arood fit The way he looked at you—I know love when I see it” He let o

King did not lovestill had no recollection of Mia Whatever desire he’d felt fordead now, never to be resurrected Unlike him