Nate ducked around a nearby corner as he watched Mara and the stranger walk into Saks Fifth Avenue. He waited until they were out of sight and then followed them into the upscale department store. He saw them take the escalator, he quickly followed.
He watched as they got off on the 7th floor. The Men's department?! He got off behind them and then quickly hid behind a nearby rack to avoid being seen.
Mara and the stranger stopped near a pile of sweaters. Nate watched as Mara picked one up and held it out in front of her. The guy she was with took the sweater from Mara's hands and held it against his torso. Mara laughed and then nodded, clearly impressed.
Well, of course everything looks good on him, Nate thought to himself. Nate continued to watch as his girlfriend and the 6'1 stranger made their way through the store. He couldn't take much more of this. Nate was about to leave when he saw Chuck Bass appear out of nowhere. Oh great, what's he doing here? He saw Chuck approach Mara. He moved quietly to the next rack in an effort to try and get a better view.
"Chuck Bass, pleasure to meet you." Chuck said as he made eye contact with Mara.
"Hi." Mara said, clearly underwhelmed.
"Can we help you with something?" the 6'1 stranger asked as he moved closer to Mara.
"Well, you can't. But maybe she can." Chuck said as he turned to wink at Mara.
"Well, she's with me so either you back off or…" the 6'1 stranger started.
"Oh, I didn't know, guess I should have figured that a beautiful girl like you would have been taken." Chuck replied slyly.
Mara simply smiled as the stranger put his arm around her. They walked off in the opposite direction leaving Chuck fuming and Nate devastated.
"She's with me." Chuck mocked as he turned around and started to walk back to the elevator. Suddenly he stopped. "Archibald?" He said as he walked over to Nate's hiding spot.
Busted!
Nate crept out from his place behind the rack and mustered a small nod. "Hey Bass." He replied.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chuck asked clearly amused with the situation.
"Oh nothing, I was just…"
"You were just checking out that hot girl huh? I didn't know they still made them like that. So when did you turn into a stalker?" Chuck asked with a grin.
"I wasn't stalking her, I dropped something and I was just…"
"Yeah, yeah whatever. So where are Blair and Serena?"
"Not here." Nate answered with his hands in his pockets.
"Too bad."
"So uh, that girl… was she with that guy?" Nate asked slowly.
"That's the vibe I got." Chuck replied distractedly, there was a posse of girls waiting for the nearby elevator.
"You sure? I mean, did she say..."
"Look Archibald, get a life. She's taken, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea." Chuck said pointing to the group of girls.
The problem with Chuck's theory was that Mara was supposed to be with him. Nate watched as Chuck made his way over to the girls just in time to catch the elevator with them. Chuck gave him a quick thumbs up before the elevator doors closed in on themselves. Nate made his way to the elevators, pushed the button and waited. Life always had a way of kicking him in the ass.
"I'm home." Serena declared.
"I'm in your room!" She heard Blair reply.
Serena ran to her room and found her best friend lying in her bed.
"B, have you been here all day?" She asked as she joined her.
"Pretty much." Blair replied sleepily.
"Wow, you suck." Serena said playfully.
"I know." Blair answered. "And how was your day princess?"
"Long!" Serena said as she rubbed her feet, "Do you feel like doing anything tonight?"
"You're kidding right?" Blair said as she got up and walked over to the dresser.
"Possibly." Serena said with a smile.
"How do you do it?" Blair asked as she started fussing with her hair.
"Do what?" Serena said as she joined her by the mirror.
"Act like nothing's wrong, like nothing's bothering you?"
"Oh you mean the whole Nate situation?"
Blair nodded.
"It does bother me B, but then I think about how much closer we are now that he's not coming in between us and, I mean, that's not such a bad thing is it?"
"Of course not S, but I miss him. Every minute of every hour of every day." Blair finished silently.
Serena had only seen Blair look vulnerable on a few occasions in her life and this moment killed her. She wasn't always so good at being the strong one.
"B, I know you still love him, I do too. But he's moved on and I think it's time that we did too. You can't keep living with the hope that one day he'll turn around and realize all the mistakes he made and suddenly run back to you." She said as she rubbed Blair's arm.
Blair felt the tear that she was holding back roll down her cheek. She knew that Serena was right, but a part of her would always belong to Nate and that part could never give up on him.
Serena watched as her best friend cried softly beside her. She loved Nate too, she always would, but unlike Blair, she had given up on him the minute he decided to walk out of their lives. She could never forgive him for leaving her like that. She slowly put her arms around Blair and let her cry on her shoulder.
Blair sobbed into Serena's blouse, all of the hesitation she felt vanished. She had been holding everything in for so long that she finally had to let it all go.
No one said it would be easy.
Sightings
S, busy fulfilling her duties as budding movie star and doting best friend.
N, looking very 007, was seen sneaking around Saks Fifth Avenue.
In related news, M was spotted with the same scrumptious looking guy we saw her with before, strolling out of Saks Fifth Avenue with a few new purchases and a big smile. Is he the new boy in her life, because if he is, it looks like someone forgot to tell N.
Also seen in Saks Fifth Avenue, if you didn't already know... C. Look's like he's back in town and back in action. That's right C was seen walking around Manhattan with a group of overly preppy, over-caffeinated girls. Some things never change.
And in case you're wondering, B spent the day indoors. Guess she's not worried about her tan or maybe she was just trying to mend that broken heart.
