<\/p>\n
My dad died. I was drowning in grief, so I fled to his beach house for comfort. As soon as I arrived, the neighbor, Nick, greeted me \u2014 but he knew too much: what I liked, what I ate, personal stuff no neighbor should know. It unsettled me, but I tried to ignore it.<\/p>\n
That night I left and drove back home. The next morning I found an old toy my dad carved \u2014 one I thought was lost \u2014 sitting by my phone. My window was open. Someone had been inside.<\/p>\n
Panic hit. I fled again, but while driving, I heard footsteps and then saw Nick running behind me. Before I could think, he grabbed me and whispered, \u201cDidn\u2019t your dad ever tell you I\u2019m your real father?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"