Chapter 25 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

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Summary

Clio wakes in the dark, feeling the house's oppressive atmosphere. She grabs her vape, phone, and wallet, and walks to Austin's house. He meets her at the driveway, and they go out for disco fries and milkshakes.

Over the meal, Clio turns the conversation to Austin. He shares that his father's death was sudden and difficult, his older brothers are overachieving but unpleasant, and his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during his sophomore year of college. He carries significant student debt. He's had two long-term relationships—one in high school and one in his early twenties, which he ended, leaving him with lingering doubts. After that breakup, he moved in with his mother, which he admits makes dating harder.

Austin then asks Clio directly whether she spends time with him because she likes him or because she dislikes being alone. She answers honestly: both.

Clio tells Austin about reading her mother's book. She found only a three-paragraph blog post on the paranormal investigators' website about their trip to Edgewood, with no specific details about her. She expresses frustration that there's no evidence to confirm or refute her childhood behavior. Austin reassures her that he remembers her vibes being good.

They return to his house, have tea with his mother, and share a playful moment about Game of Thrones. That night, they sleep beside each other without hooking up for the first time. Clio lies awake, feeling panic and fear—being close to someone who might genuinely care for her feels scarier than any haunting. Austin falls asleep quickly, and eventually wraps an arm around her.

The next morning, Clio returns home. She searches for signs of disturbance but finds everything exactly as she left it. She feels a pang of disappointment, realizing she was hoping for more proof—or even more fear. She paints the wall she patched, listening to her mother's music. A memory surfaces: her mother on the deck, drunk, lighting a cigarette with a hot pink Bic lighter. Clio looks at her burn scar and wonders if that lighter caused it.

She tries calling her sisters and friends, but none answer. She then calls Aunt Helen. Helen reveals that Clio's sisters told their father they saw Alex cause the burn. Helen warns Clio against pursuing the past, saying those relationships aren't worth damaging for truths that may not bring peace. Clio insists the door is already open, and the conversation ends with her realizing she looks like her mother in the reflection.

Key Events

Clio walks to Austin's house at night; they go for fries and milkshakes.
Austin shares personal details: father's death, mother's MS, student debt, two past relationships.
Austin asks Clio why she spends time with him; she says both because she likes him and because she dislikes being alone.
Clio tells Austin about the three-paragraph blog post about the investigators' Edgewood trip, with no specific mention of her.
They have tea with Austin's mother and joke about Game of Thrones.
They sleep side by side without hooking up for the first time; Clio feels panic and fear of intimacy.
Clio returns home, finds nothing disturbed, and feels disappointed.
She paints the wall and recalls a memory of her mother with a hot pink lighter.
She examines her burn scar and connects it to the lighter.
Her calls to sisters and friends go unanswered.
She calls Aunt Helen, who reveals that her sisters told their father they saw Alex cause the burn.
Helen warns Clio against pursuing the past, but Clio insists the door is already open.

Character Development

Clio is increasingly aware of her own contradictions. She admits she spends time with Austin partly because she dislikes being alone, and she feels a strange disappointment when the house shows no signs of activity—revealing her addiction to fear and the adrenaline of the unknown. Her panic at sleeping beside Austin without sex underscores her fear of intimacy and loss of control. She also begins to question her constructed identity: she has built a persona of fun and glamour to avoid being seen as a victim, but now she fears becoming both her mother and the child Cici from the book. Her decision to call Aunt Helen, despite being told to distrust her, marks a shift toward seeking truth over comfort.

Austin emerges as a patient, caring presence. He listens without judgment, offers reassurance about her childhood, and respects her boundaries by not pushing for physical intimacy. His willingness to share his own vulnerabilities—his father's death, his mother's illness, his debt—creates a foundation of trust that Clio finds both comforting and terrifying.

Aunt Helen serves as a reluctant truth-bearer. She confirms that the sisters told their father they saw Alex cause the burn, but she cautions Clio against reopening old wounds. Her warning reflects a desire to protect the family's fragile peace, even as she acknowledges her own hatred for Clio's father.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Memory vs. Truth: Clio's fragmented memories clash with the versions told by her family. The hot pink lighter is a concrete symbol of a memory she can't fully access, and the three-paragraph blog post highlights the absence of objective evidence.
Fear of Intimacy: Clio's panic when sleeping beside Austin without sex illustrates her fear of emotional closeness. She equates vulnerability with losing control.
Addiction to Fear: Clio's disappointment when nothing is disturbed reveals that she has become addicted to the thrill of fear, which provides a sense of purpose and excitement.
Identity Construction: Clio reflects on how she has built her persona to avoid being seen as a victim, but now she fears becoming both her mother and the child from the book.
Family Secrets: The revelation about the sisters' testimony exposes a long-held secret that could reshape Clio's understanding of her family.
Contested Narratives: The differing accounts of the burn—from her father, her sisters, and her own memory—highlight how family stories are often contested and unreliable.
Maternal Legacy: Clio's memory of her mother with the lighter and her reflection in the sliding door suggest she is grappling with inheriting her mother's struggles.
Trust and Betrayal: Clio's decision to call Aunt Helen, despite being told not to trust her, signals a shift in whom she trusts and why.
Isolation: Clio's unanswered calls to her sisters and friends emphasize her growing isolation as she pursues the truth.
Losing Control: Clio's fear of intimacy and her panic at being close to Austin reflect her broader fear of losing control over her life and emotions.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it delivers a major revelation about the burn scar—the sisters told their father they saw Alex cause it—while also deepening Clio's internal conflict. It shows her moving from passive acceptance of family narratives to actively seeking the truth, even at the risk of damaging relationships. The chapter also solidifies her bond with Austin, introducing a romantic tension that complicates her already unstable life. The themes of memory, identity, and fear are brought to the forefront, setting the stage for the confrontations that will likely follow.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Clio feel disappointed when she finds nothing disturbed in the house?

Clio has become accustomed to the adrenaline of fear and the validation it provides. When the house is quiet, she misses the excitement and the proof that something supernatural is happening. Her disappointment reveals her addiction to fear and her need for external confirmation of her experiences.

2. What does the hot pink lighter memory suggest about the cause of Clio's burn?

The memory connects the lighter to her burn scar, but Clio has no recollection of how the burn happened. This suggests that the lighter may have been the instrument, but the identity of the person who used it remains unclear. The memory also ties her mother to the incident, complicating the family's version of events.

3. How does Aunt Helen's revelation change Clio's understanding of her family?

Helen reveals that Clio's sisters told their father they saw Alex cause the burn. This contradicts the earlier implication that her father blamed her mother. It suggests that the sisters may have been complicit in shaping the narrative, and it raises questions about their motives and the reliability of their testimony. Clio now faces the possibility that her family has been hiding the truth from her.