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

squeezed Catlin shoulders , and Catlin just sat there, trying not to let the tears escape from her eyes and run down her face.
     
    Catlin’s phone rang at nine-o-clock that evening. She didn’t answer it. She went to bed and cried herself to sleep.
     
    When she went into the lounge for her planning period on Wednesday, the school secretary called to her on the intercom. “Catlin! Delivery for you.” She walked around the corner to the office and saw a dozen roses.
    She read the card and smiled slowly.
     
    “I may have overreacted.” was all it said.
     
    She thought about answering the phone when it rang that night, but she didn’t.
     
    On their lunch break the next day, Catlin and Jetta were looking through a magazine when the secretary buzzed the intercom again. “Catlin, your dentist’s office is on line two.”
    “ Oh great,” Catlin muttered sarcastically, and reached for the phone. “I have an appointment next week. I suppose they’re calling to reschedule it.” She picked up the phone and punched line two. “This is Catlin McCall.”
    “ You don’t seem to have phone service at home anymore,” Steve said to her.
    “ This is not my dentist.” She looked at Jetta and waggled her eyebrows.
    “ No, but please don’t hang up. It is important.”
    “ I’m not hanging up.”
    “ Did you get the flowers?”
    “ I did. I wasn’t sure who sent them, though.”
    He chuckled softly. “Lots of people overreacting in your life these days?”
    “ Way too many to count.”
    “ I’ll be home tomorrow. I’d like to see you.”
    “ I have plans,” she lied.
    He chuckled at her. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you? Saturday, then?”
    “ I might be free on Saturday. What exactly am I accepting?”
    “ I’d like to take you to dinner.”
    “ To break up with me? Because you can do that right now and save the price of dinner.”
    He laughed outright. “I’m not breaking up with you. But I’d rather not talk about it over the phone. Can I pick you up at six?”
    “ I suppose.”
    “ I’ll look forward to it.”
    “ See you then,” she replied, trying not to get her hopes up by looking forward to anything.
     
    He arrived at six-o-clock sharp, as she knew he would. Catlin opened the door, forcing herself to remain stoic.
    He had a dozen roses, and a bottle of water. “In case your hair is on fire.”
    She laughed, and took a step back so he could come in. “Thank you.” She took the flowers.
    He set the bottle down on the table. “You look beautiful. I’ve missed you so much.”
    She gazed into his eyes. “Have you figured things out, then?”
    He shook his head. “I had nothing to figure out. I’ve known I wanted you since the minute I laid eyes on you. And I still feel that way.”
    “ But, Barbara...” she trailed off.
    Steve took the flowers from her hands, and laid them on the table. He held her hands in his. “Barbara and I were through before I met you. Do you honestly think I would have started something with you if I still had feelings for her?”
    “ So I worried all week for nothing?”
    “ Serves you right. Next time maybe you’ll answer the phone when I call.”
    She flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. He picked her up, and squeezed with all his might.
    When he set her down, Catlin took a step back, and looked into his eyes. “Sunday was horrible, Steve. I never want to argue like that again.”
    “ Oh, we’re going to argue. You know we are. But you’re right, that was bad. We’ll do it better next time.”
    She snuggled up next to him. “I hope next time is... not for a long, long time.”
    He lifted her chin and kissed her. Tears were streaming down her face as she whispered “I wasn’t sure we’d ever be like this again.”
    He brushed the tears away. “You really were thinking the worst, weren’t you?”
    She nodded. “I went through three boxes of tissues.”
    He laughed, and hugged her to him. “Go dry your eyes. I’m taking