Dan looked to his right and flinched. The empty seat seemed to mock him, which only further feuled his anguish. She was supposed to be here. Maybe they would be looking through all the travel guides they had brought with them. Maybe he would laugh as she once again criticized his love for flannel. Of course flannel is not appropriate attire for even the most casual gatherings in the UES, let alone a trip abroad. Maybe he would kiss her and tell her that she could dress him however she wished, as long as he could kiss her and hold her hand whenever he wished. But she's not here, and it's his own fault. When she arrived at the airport with tears in her eyes and an " I love you " on her lips, he sent her home. Not because he didn't love her. He did. Every fiber of his being loved that woman with an intensity that only seemed to get stronger with every passing day.
But when she said the words he had been longing to hear since that night in the loft, they sounded more like an "I owe you". He couldn't shake the feeling that she had said those words to keep him. Maybe the fear of losing someone who had been there for her unconditionally for the last year scared her. Maybe she did mean it, in her own way. Maybe the reality of losing him finally woke her up to everything that has been in front of her for the past few months. Or maybe, just maybe, she had meant it the same way he did. Maybe he should've grabbed her and not dared to let her go until they were in the air. But he didn't. The empty seat to his right was proof of the coward he had been. Maybe the fear of "Chuck and Blair " had kept him from the dream of " Dan and Blair "
Maybe he did find it strange when Nate called a week into his trip to ask which hotel he was staying at. Maybe Nate just wanted a guys weekend. Maybe he had forgotten about the call a few days after when suddenly there was a knock at his door. Maybe when he opened his door, his heart didn't slam against his chest. No, it definitely did. Maybe Blair Waldorf didn't always have perfect timing in their relationship, but she definitely knew how to make up for it. " So Dan, are you going to invite me in or what? "
Definitely.