Her naked body was bent over the bowl. She shuddered and retched repeatedly. Her gasping breaths were rough and pained. The sobs shook her whole body. She didn't even care that her face was in the toilet, that her hair was sticky with vomit. She pulled away from the seat and curled up on the cold tiles, relishing the pain.
Serena found her there not long after. She tried to pick her up from the floor but couldn't. She called the person she knew she could trust. Chuck. Covering Blair with a towel, she lay down next to her, holding her, comforting her.
Entering the expensively decorated ensuite bathroom, Chuck surveyed the scene in his quiet, careful, calculating way. Serena was looking up at him with scared eyes. In her arms was the small body he knew belonged to Blair Waldorf. She was covered with a towel, but Chuck could guess what was underneath. He had seen the pile of clothes on the floor, the full-length mirror and the open toilet seat. Helping Serena up, he squeezed her hand.
"Thank you for calling me."
Serena nodded and looked down at Blair.
Chuck bent and stroked the soft white cheek. Her brown eyes stared up at him. He put his arms around her and straightened up, holding her close. He had noticed that the bath was full of still steaming water from when Dorota must have filled it. He gently placed her in, looking only into her eyes.
Serena took her cue and began to wash her best friend with a sponge. Blair had closed her eyes. Chuck closed the door softly behind him on his way out.
Blair managed to get out of the bath by herself. She was dressed in silk pyjamas and was leaning on Serena when she came out of the bathroom. She climbed between the Egyptian cotton sheets without a word or a look in Chuck's direction. He was sitting on the window seat, his head in his hands. Serena kissed Blair's cheek and whispered into her ear before retreating to her own room.
Chuck stood. He slipped of his Armani loafers, shrugged off his suit coat and unwound his Burberry scarf. His socked feet padded across the carpeted floor to the bed and he got in beside Blair. He felt her body jerk with a sob and pulled her into him.
She felt hot tear prickling her eyes and running down her cheeks. Her nose was running. He sat, turned her over and mopped up her face with a tissue from his pocket. She didn't ask, or even care, whether it was used or not.
When Blair woke, it was 11 am. She hadn't slept this late in a long time. Chuck wasn't there, but she knew he'd stayed as long as he could. He was a busy man. She got up and showered. Looking through her wardrobe, she picked out a pretty Orla Kiely collared dress and a Chanel cropped jacket to go with her hot off the runway Burberry 'Field Boots'. Walking back into her bedroom to pick up her phone, she noticed Chuck's scarf, folded on the window seat. She smiled, tied it snugly around her neck and left her room.
