happy for you。 Because how can you not want someone you love to be happy？ But that？s the thing；
Nate。 。 。 。 I think I love you。 I know that sounds crazy； and there were so many other times I should
have told you； but it didn？t hit me until last night or tonight or whatever； and if I didn？t tell you
now； when would I have？ It？s just？it？s always been you。 Did you ever wonder why I came back
last fall？ Last night； when？
？
Blair stopped reading midsentence； flipping impatiently through the packet； three pages of heavy
writing paper pletely covered with Serena？s too…big looping script。 Her heart pounded in her
chest。 There was no question what to do next。 She looked left and right just to confirm that she
was indeed alone； then slipped out of the car and walked back to the scenic overlook。
Carefully； she tore the first page of the letter in half； then tore that half into quarters； and kept
shredding it until all that remained was a handful of confetti； which she cupped in her palm。 The
warm breeze lifted the scraps of paper out of her hand and sent them showering onto the valley
below。 She did the same with the two other pages and the envelope as well； tearing them into tiny
bits so that Serena？s handwriting was just a jumble of meaningless shapes that the wind lifted and
sent drifting into the valley below。
Blair returned to the car and reached into her bag to retrieve her cell phone。 She studied the
phone momentarily。 Should she call Serena？ Tell her that she knew all about the letter； that she
knew how her supposedly best fucking friend actually felt about her boyfriend？ Or should she just
play innocent； ignore that two…faced bitch and focus on the perfect summer that stretched out
before her？ She suddenly didn？t feel quite so bad about ditching Serena on her birth…day。
No kidding。
？Ready to go？？ Nate slid into the driver？s seat； a boyish grin stretching across his perfect face。
？Ready。？ Blair pulled on her seat belt。
Buckle up？you？re in for a wild ride！
better late than never？
Serena was once again lying in her all…white bed staring at the ceiling； trying to sleep now that
she？d finally admitted how she really felt。 The ceiling was pockmarked where she？d peeled off
dozens of glow…in…the…dark stars just before she left for Europe； and she？d been counting the
remaining stars for the last three hours； ever since she？d slipped the note into the Aston Martin。
She kept losing count and starting again。 And maybe she？d dozed off； or maybe not。 Henry shifted
onto his side； throwing his arm across her chest。 It felt heavy and suffocating。 She？d already been
in this exact place； exactly a year before： in love with Nate； but lying next to Henry。 She？d even
admitted it and gotten it off her chest； so why couldn？t she sleep？
Second thoughts？
She slid out of bed for the second time that morning and slipped into the hallway。 Downstairs a
few people were clanking bottles into the trash and whispering about their headaches。 From the
grandfather clock downstairs she heard that it wasn？t morning anymore at all： it was exactly noon。
She yanked at the long white T…shirt she was wearing。 It said BROWN in capital letters across her
chest and hung below her knees。
She didn？t even know where she was walking until she got there； but she soon found herself in
front of her parents？ closed bedroom door。 She knew that Blair and Nate were inside。 They？d
probably made a fort out of the many oversize pillows on the bed； which Blair had dubbed the
Kissing Cave or something cheesy 。 。 。 or totally adorable if you were in love。Which Nate
was。With Blair。
So what was Serena doing declaring her love for him now？ There were so many other； better
times she could have told him in the last year。 Like when they were nearly naked in a Bergdorf？s
dressing room。 Or when they were kissing in the bathtub at Isabel Coates？s Hamptons house。 Or
when she？d decided not to go back to boarding school and came back to the city instead。 But she
hadn？t。 She hadn？t told him any of those times； mostly because she？d been scared。 That he didn？t
love her back； which he didn？t。 He loved Blair。
She backed away from the heavy wooden door that led to her parents？ master bedroom suite and
toward the stairs where Nate had told Blair he loved her just last night。 So why had she suddenly
declaredher love for Nate； now； at the very worst possible time？
？Hey； you？re the birthday girl。？ A guy she？d never seen before looked up at her from the bottom
of the staircase。 His shaggy brown hair was piled on top of his head in a messy bun。 ？Selima；
right？？
？Serena；？ she told him。
？Right； so like； do you think you can give me a ride to the train station？？ He reached under his
sweat…stained and moth…eaten polo to scratch his belly； revealing a sliver of hairy stomach。
Ew。
Serena took a step down the stairs； letting her hand glide over the dark wooden banister。 ？I？m
sure people will start getting up soon。 Someone will drive you。？
？Cool。？ He stretched his arms up high； yawning loudly； and headed back into the living room；
where people were still sprawled out on every soft surface。 She heard someone mutter ？Duuuuude；？
as he collapsed onto the antique but…toned…leather couch。
Serena swept through the marble foyer to the door and lingered for a moment； hand on the
doorknob； before she pulled the door open and stepped outside。 The front of the house was well
shaded and cool； and she wrapped her arms around her body protectively as she scanned the
driveway。
She wasn？t sure if she was having second thoughts； or not； or if she wanted to sneak back to that
car and take back the envelope she？d left inside。 But the decision had been made for her。 The
Aston Martin was nowhere in sight。 Nate？ and presumably Blair？were gone。
And they？d taken some very juicy reading material along with them。
sailing off into the sunset
Blair knelt in the bucket seat of the car as Nate slowed the Aston Martin to a stop in front of the
whitewashed Newport Yacht Club。 The harbor glimmered in the midday sun。 Blair breathed in the
warm； salty seaside air。 She kept shaking her head； letting her windblown locks swing around her
shoulders； which she hoped looked sexy。 In truth； she was just trying to shake the thought of
Serena？s letter from her mind。 Seriously； what the fuck？
？I can？t believe we？re actually here。？ Nate？s voice startled her back to attention。 Despite having
driven for hundreds of miles just to get there； Nate didn？t seem all that eager to get out of the car。
He？d undone his seat belt and was just sitting there； staring out of the car？s tiny windshield at the
forest of masts in the harbor。
？What？s wrong？？ Blair opened the door and hopped up and down； getting the blood in her legs
flowing again。
？What？ Oh； nothing。？ Nate looked startled。
Blair settled her fists on her hips。 Her blousy cotton voile shirt fluttered in the wind。 ？Are you
sure everything？s okay？ You look kind of 。 。 。 distracted。？
？No； no； everything？s fine。？ Nate stood and slammed his door shut behind him。 ？We？ll have to
do som