Chapter 2

Blair knew that she didn't have long until he found her, and that her only option was to leave the country. Unknown to Aaron, Eleanor had once given Blair details to a bank account which belonged solely to her, with her rightful inheritance. She had bestowed it to Blair in one of her lucid moments, obviously foreseeing the need for it. So with the help of this account, Blair found herself on the first flight to New York, the city of dreams. It wasn't until she was in a taxi on the other side of the pond that her actions fully hit her. Looking at her now empty ring finger, she realised just how close she had been to being enslaved to that monster forever. Pure adrenaline had fuelled her on her way to New York. Now that reality was sinking in, Blair realised that she had no idea what to do. She was nearly eighteen years old, in an unknown city with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. She had never felt more alone in her entire life. Blair had witnessed her mother dull her pain with alcohol in the past, and figured that at that moment in time she really needed a drink. So she instructed the cab driver to drop her off at the nearest bar. Although not legal to drink in England and not even close in America, Blair's natural beauty helped to charm the bartender into handing her a free gin and tonic. Blair found a secluded corner booth and sank into the cold leather, dumping her bags beside her. Looking around, Blair couldn't help but like the place. Dim fairy lights hung everywhere with old black and white photos giving a rustic feeling to the bar. As Blair sat pondering her next move, a group of young New Yorkers descended upon the bar. Three handsome young men greeted the bartender as if he were a lifelong friend. This was surprising, as the Brooklyn bar did not normally house Upper East Siders. These three young men were Dan Humphrey, Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass. The nineteen year olds had been best friends since their school days, and inseparable ever since they met. They used the quaint bar as an escape from the expectations of elite New York society. However, even in Brooklyn their stature was infamous. So it came as a surprise to them when they found that their usual corner booth was taken.

"Excuse me, miss?" Nate asked, ever the gentleman. The young woman looked up and Chuck was struck by her innocent beauty. She was fresh and doe-eyed, and he was astounded by how much power she had over him at one look. He hoped she didn't notice his reaction to her as he regained his composure. And he almost got away with it, until he noticed Dan smirking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Can I help you?" Blair replied, calm and collected and wondering how she had already attracted trouble.

"Sorry, it's just that this is our usual table and most people around here know that." Dan replied. It was lucky that they were talking, as Chuck didn't think that he could string a legitimate sentence together.

"Oh well, in case the accent didn't tip you off, I'm not from around here. And in case you hadn't noticed, this bar is empty of people but full of tables." she quipped, clearly not impressed by these three strangers. By this time, the bartender, Joe, had come over to the table.

"I'm so sorry miss, I hope that these three aren't bothering you…" he said, turning to glare at the three young men who were usually his favourite customers.

"No not at all, they actually just offered to buy me lunch" she responded sweetly, prompting Joe to leave and sort out a meal for her.

"Well I guess we deserve that" Nate chuckled. "Sorry, I guess we were being rude before. Mind if we sit?"

"I guess not" Blair said, moving her bags. Nate, Dan and Chuck slid into the booth so that Dan was beside Blair, and Chuck was directly opposite. He was struggling to keep his eyes off her.

"Well I'm Dan, and these two idiots are my buddies Nate and Chuck." Dan said, pointing out each one.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Blair" she replied, nodding her head and smiling at each of them. However, Chuck noticed that her smile didn't entirely reach her eyes. There was something wary in them, as if she didn't quite trust them. Having finally found his voice, Chuck said "And what brings you to New York? Tourists don't normally start their tour of the big city alone in a bar in Brooklyn…" He trailed off, curious to find out more about this girl yet afraid of appearing too keen. He had a reputation to maintain, after all, as New York's billionaire bad boy bachelor.

"I just moved here. It was actually incredibly stupid and impulsive, I haven't really figured out my next move. I'm actually contemplating just getting the next flight back to London."

"What? You can't do that. We can help you out, where are you staying?" Dan chimed.

"Ha…well…I don't actually have a place to stay. Hence the willingness to go back to London." The guys where shocked, for a moment. She had seemed so put together, yet now appeared helpless.

"No, don't do that. I have a feeling you'd do great here. I don't know if you know this, but I just so happen to be kind of rich. I also happen to live in a penthouse apartment with these two that actually has a spare room." Chuck offered, willing to be her saviour. However, her expression was sceptical.

"Do you usually meet random Englishwomen in bars and ask them to live with you?" she asked, her tone slightly amused.

"Well to be honest we've been looking for a new roommate for a while, and it seems like you'd fit in well with us. You don't have to pay rent, it's a great location, the only problem is at the moment that we live on take-out…so if you can cook, we'd love to have you". Chuck and Dan laughed at their friend, while Blair looked at the three of them. She couldn't help but feel comfortable in their presence; it had been so long since anyone had done anything kind to or for her. Yet she was still uneasy, her last experience at living with a man had been a horror story which she did not want to be repeated. Nate and Dan had started talking about the perks of living in New York while Blair sat silently. Chuck sensed that she was assessing them, weighing up her options. It was amazing the pull he felt towards her, how captivated he was by this teenager who he barely knew. Yet he felt an urge to help her.

"Come on Blair. Let us help you out". Blair looked up at Chuck's gaze and was floored by the genuine concern and sincerity she saw in it. They barely knew each other yet she could tell that she could trust him. Dan and Nate looked between them, and the electricity in the air was palpable.

"Ok, I'll come live with you guys as long as you're sure I won't be imposing."

"No we'd love to have you" Nate replied adamantly. "Can you cook?"

"Yes I can cook, I've been cooking since I was eleven" Blair said, her expression suddenly becoming vacant as her mind took her to a former time. In her time with Aaron, however, Blair had become masterful at masking her true emotions. Each look of fear and repulsion had earned her an extra hit, so in time Blair had learnt how to keep all thoughts and emotions hidden, buried deep down. She used this skill now, quickly replacing the sad look with a bright smile to her new friends. However, Chuck had caught it for the briefest of moments, and suspected there was more to Blair than met the eye.