Free Blame it on the Stars (The Blame Game) by Jamie Hill Page B

York? You’re in fantasy-land again!”
    Her face was streaked with tears. Catlin wanted to move away so badly, but couldn ’t. It was like a train wreck.
    Barbara grabbed Steve ’s shirt. “I’m back now. I understand what you want....what you need. We could live in Kansas City. Or, if it’s what you really want, we could live in Marshall.”
    Dana apparently did not like this turn in the conversation. “Hmpff…” she snorted, and started to move. She lost her balance, and grabbed Catlin. Dana leaned in on the French doors, and pulled Catlin into the living room with her. They landed on the floor, just like a Stooges routine. But no one was laughing.
    Steve looked at them, his face registering surprise that they were eavesdropping.
    Barbara turned away and wiped at her face.
    Catlin and Dana scrambled to their feet. Catlin had never felt more embarrassed.
    “ I’m sorry!” She mouthed to him, and pulled Dana back into the family room.
    Steve gave them an angry look, and firmly closed the glass doors between him and the girls.
    Catlin ran her hand through her hair “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.”
    Dana laughed, and dropped into the sofa. “That was priceless!”
    They heard the front door close, and Catlin looked in fear at the French doors. When Steve reopened them, he was not smiling.
    He looked from one girl to the other and crossed his arms. He started with Dana . “Are you proud of yourself?”
    She shrugged cockily, and started to say something. Steve cut her off in the loudest, angriest voice Catlin had ever heard from him.
    “Don’t even give me some smart-ass reply! What you saw in there was not pretty, and not intended for your eyes. I’m ashamed of you and very disappointed in you right now.”
    Tears streamed down Dana ’s face.
    “ Go to your room, and I’ll tell you when you can come out!”
    Dana sobbed as she dashed up the stairs.
    Catlin looked at Steve, surprised. “Well that was a little extreme, don’t you think?”
    He turned his back on her, and clenched his fists. When he turned around again, he started in on Catlin. “And you! Maybe you are as young as everyone keeps telling me! Don’t you know better than to listen in on conversations that don’t concern you?”
    “ Hey now—” Catlin spoke up to defend herself, but Steve cut her off.
    “ And I don’t need a smart-ass reply from you, either. How dare you encourage my daughter to spy on us?”
    “ I did no such thing! I’ll admit I shouldn’t have been listening, but I never encouraged Dana to eavesdrop. She has a mind of her own in case you haven’t noticed.”
    “Don’t try to blame this on her. Who’s the adult in the room, anyway?”
    Catlin glanced around for her purse. “You’re right, only one adult in this room. I’m out of here.” She found her bag and grabbed it as she headed to the front door.
    “ I’m not through with you!” Steve called after her.
    She faced him one more time . “What are you going to do, send me to my room?” She hurried out the front door and hopped in her car.
    When she got home and pushed her garage door opener, she saw Steve ’s BMW. “Damn it!” She slapped her dash board, and parked on the street. “Well, he can just come and get it.” She closed the garage door, and dropped the opener in her pocket. She hauled her suitcases up to the front door, and went in.
    She threw herself on her bed, but realized her pillow smelled like Steve. For some reason that made her want to cry, but she wasn’t ready to cry yet. She was too angry.
    Catlin unpacked and puttered around her house. The phone rang three separate times, but she never answered it. Finally, two hours later, her doorbell rang. She peeked out and saw Steve on the steps. She opened the door, unsmiling.
    “ Can I come in?” He asked quietly. He was not smiling either.
    “ Not even if my hair was on fire,” she replied. “And you held the only bucket of water on Earth.”
    He nodded. “David dropped me