A/N: A new OC will be introduced in this chapter. His name is Caleb Andrews and he is portrayed by Robbie Amell. Enjoy guys!
Chapter 48
Lux's Point of View
Nate and I spent the entire afternoon catching up with each other. A lot of stuff had gone down when we weren't talking to one another. Not talking to Nate hurt worse than not talking to my actual brother Brandon. We walked up and down Cooper's Beach while Nate informed me that The Captain had fled the country after the wedding earlier in the summer. It didn't surprise me really. I can't say I'm not going to miss him, but not nearly as much as Nate would. Regardless of his bad choices, he was still his father.
"I still can't wrap my head around you and a married woman Nate!" I squealed as we both flopped down in the sand next to one another. Nate chuckled and shook his head.
"Yeah, kind of like how I couldn't wrap my mind around you and Chuck?" He retorted. We both laughed as we watched the wave's crash into the shore then slowly creep back off the beach quietly.
"We met early in the summer at one of my mother's charity events and sort of hit it off. When it started it was just sex, and to me it still is just physical…I just wanted to have fun and let loose after everything that happened this past year." Nate explained as a little five year old girl toddled down the beach trying and failing miserably to fly a dinosaur kite.
"I'm not judging. You're just playing a really dangerous game, Nate. Just be careful." I told him looking over at him; he smirked and nodded his head. I laughed and looked away. We are all huge walking disasters waiting to happen.
"I have to ask though, what about you and Blair or Vanessa?" I said looking at him out of the corner of my eye. He sighed and lowered his head contemplating the two girls in his mind.
"Vanessa didn't really work out. Blair would never trust me again even if I did want to try and work things out…" Nate breathed scooping up a handful of sand in his hand and letting it trickle through his fingers slowly. The whole reason Blair dragged James here was to throw it in Nate's face, which meant even after everything she still cared enough about him to try and make him jealous.
"Do you want to get back with Blair?" I asked out of pure curiosity.
"Sometimes I do, yeah. It's hopeless though. She's dating that guy James or whatever the hell his name is. I met him earlier he's got the world's worst accent. Where the hell is he even from?" Nate replied as I cracked up laughing. Nate and Blair will be the death of me if Chuck doesn't kill me.
"There's always hope Archibald." I reminded him as I got to my feet and pulled him to his. He looked at me funny before we started walking back to the car.
"Are you talking about me and Blair or you and Chuck? Not that I really want to know anything about you and Chuck together, but what happened. I mean from what I could tell you guys were happy before you left for Tuscany or whatever. Then he comes home early without you." Nate questioned me. There is no hope for Chuck and me to fix things ever I thought. Not after what he did…
"It's complicated." I whispered as we reached the parking lot. Being with Chuck was the happiest I've been since my parents died. He made me forget all of the terrible things that have happened. I never expected him to turn into one of the terrible things that happened though.
"For what it's worth, even though I was pissed I was still rooting for you guys. When Chuck came home he didn't seem himself, he hardly hung out and just spent like a month stoned and boozed out of his mind in his suite." Nate informed after we got in the car. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. There were hardly any posts about Chuck on Gossip Girl after he left me. That must have been why.
"Did he ask you to talk to me?" I snapped looking at Nate when we stopped at a stop sign. Nate ran his hand down the side of his face and looked out the windshield.
"No, this is just from me." He reassured me. I sighed and continued down the road.
"He broke my heart…" I admitted quietly. Nate touched my shoulder as I shrugged.
"It'll be alright, Lux. It's just going to take time." He said giving me a small smile.
"I hope your right." I whispered as we pulled into his driveway.
Nate and I said goodbye and agreed to hang out at The White Party tomorrow. It was a party to celebrate the end of the summer. Everyone was required to where any variation of white attire to the event. Anyone who's anyone would be there. Tinsley Mortimer was heard to be joining the party later in the evening. After I pulled in the drive way some guy in a Camaro pulled in behind me. I lifted my sunglasses into my hair to see a strapping young guy sitting in the driver seat. He honked the horn as I made my way inside the house.
"Who ordered the townie?" I asked walking into the living room to see Blair relaxing on the couch while Serena applied a final layer of lipgloss in the mirror.
"The life guard." Blair explained as I flopped down on the sofa beside her. Serena peaked out the window and groaned before turning around to face us. "He has a Camaro…and not in that ironic I have a Camaro kind of way." She complained while Blair and I shared a glance with one another.
"Just go already!" Blair said shooing her out the door. "Have fun!" I laughed throwing my hand up to wave!
Chuck appeared in the living room like he came out of nowhere. Blair glanced at me and then Chuck before smiling devilishly and skipping out of the room leaving me alone with him. Thanks a lot Blair I thought as Chuck sauntered towards me and sat down on the sofa beside me. I got to my feet and felt him touch my hand. "Unless you want to lose that hand, I suggest you let go of me!" I snapped at him furiously feeling the tingling in my arm where his hand was attached to mine.
"Stop fighting it." He pleaded with me as he stood up in front of me still holding my hand.
"I will fight until my last dying breath." I whispered angrily at him. He rolled his eyes as I attempted to pull my hand out of his.
"Be my date to The White Party tomorrow so we can talk. All I want to do is talk to you alone. Please. I screwed up, and I know that." Chuck practically begged me as I tried once again to wretch my hand away from him. I forgot how strong he was. I noticed a vase of flowers on the coffee table and removed the flowers before pouring the water over his head giving me the perfect opportunity to break free from his grasp.
Chuck looked at me stunned and wiped the water off of his face as he smirked at me. I glared at him as I went off to find Blair and murder her for leaving me alone with that jackass. "So that's a yes then?" Chuck yelled once I was half way up the stairs. I froze on the steps for an instant before continuing up them. He was the most irritating person I've ever meant. I throw water on him, I throw his flowers in the street and he doesn't give up. Chuck is like a swarm of wasps coming at me and I just want to run for my life. I barged into Blair's room and found her sprawled out on her bed going over dresses for the party tomorrow and hit her with a pillow repeatedly. "I hate you!" I yelled while she laughed.
"You're going to have to talk to him sometimes." Blair pointed out while I took a seat on the side of the bed.
"Not if I kill him." I pointed out laughing alongside Blair as I fell back onto the bed. I placed my hands over my face and sighed loudly. I hate him for making me even want to consider giving him another chance. He left me. He could have stayed and everything would have been perfect. We were perfect together. We could be ourselves around each other and that's what I liked most.
Blair and I spent the evening watching chick flicks and picking out our dresses for the party tomorrow. Our time spent shopping came in quite handy. I never dreamed that we owned this many white dresses between the two of us. She settled on a tight one shoulder wrap dress while I chose a beautiful Pleated Sleeveless Flared Sheer White Dress. After my morning run I met Blair and Serena for manicures and pedicures in town. I painted my black to match my mood. As much as I wanted to be over Chuck and to move on he still was all my mind could think about. I wish I knew what I had done wrong to drive him away. Everyone that I care about either dies or chooses to leave me. I'm beginning think there's something seriously wrong with me.
"We need to get going!" Blair said poking her head into my bedroom informing me we were about to head out to the party. I'd just finished slipping on a pair of white heels and was finishing up with my hair.
"I'll be down in just a second B!" I hollered placing a final clip in the back of my hair securing the brown locks of hair to one side of my head. I walked back into my bedroom and searched for my lip gloss in my purse.
Being the total klutz that I am I ended up dropping my purse spilling all of the contents onto the wooden floor, quickly and in a hurry I stuffed everything back into my purse then paused when I noticed the small pearl pendant necklace Chuck had given me lying on the floor. I picked it up and held it in my hand unsure of what to do with it now. I've carried it around all summer and all it did was haunt me. Chuck had given it to me as a bribe to forgive him when he blogged about our sex life to the entire school. Somewhere along the line I wore just because he had given it to me. I tossed it into my wristlet and vowed to give it back to him not wanting to carry it around with me any longer.
The Vitamin White Party was being hosted at a country club in the hills. The staccato building was gorgeous from what I could tell looking out of the car window. We waited behind a line of Beamers, and Cadillac's as guests poured out of them and walked into the party like they were celebrities. Blair, Serena and I stepped out of our car when the valet opened our door and could already hear the bass and beat of the music booming inside.
Blair looped her arm through mine as we laughed and headed inside. Our heels clicked on the cobblestone pathway up to the entrance. Photographers took our pictures the moment we stepped inside. Blair slung her arm around my waist while we posed for the pictures and smiled with Serena. Guests mingled with one another enjoying the festivities and the buzz of the champagne that was being served.
"I'm going to go find James and take care of this so I can enjoy the rest of the party stag." Blair said giving me a smile before wondering off to end her fling with James. Apparently he was the worst stand in boyfriend Blair's ever had. I have to admit he was extremely boring. Nothing like Chuck whatsoever…
"I need a drink." I said maneuvering my way around Serena and towards the open bar. Hopefully I could convince someone to serve me a drink. After snagging a long island ice tea I made my way outside by the pool and watched as girls in white bikini's frolicked and giggled goofing off in the pool while a group of younger guys watched from afar practically drooling.
My eyes gazed around the party spotting Nate making his way towards me all decked out in a white suit and tie looking dapper than ever. He sidled up next to me while I sipped on my drink and eyed him out of the corner of my eye. He looked miserable. "She's here." He whispered looking at me worried and at a loss for words.
"Who?" I asked clearly missing something.
"Catherine, the woman... and she brought her husband." Nate explained gesturing towards a petite auburn haired woman whom has had her fair share of Botox and plastic surgery from what I could tell. "Last night, I saw her again and I thought we had ended things. But, then she shows up here with him and it feels like she's trying to make me jealous." Nate admitted shaking his head. I watched Catherine eye him from across the garden all the while flaunting all over her aging husband.
"Get me drunk…" Nate breathed out as I patted his shoulder unsure of what to say. "Come on." I said pulling him inside to the bar. We snagged a couple drinks and found a table away from most of the crowds and swarms of people and drank until we both felt a slight buzz in the back of our heads.
Nate sulked off on his own after I went to use the ladies room. I was actually having a pretty decent time. I hadn't seen Chuck all night and was relieved. Just when I thought I was out of the woods for at least one night I saw him gawking at me as I made my way back outside. He tapped his fingers on the glass in his hands as I locked eyes with him and froze. Why he had this effect on me was beyond me. I felt light headed and suddenly nauseous. Is it possible to hate someone so much but still somehow be incredibly in love with them? That's when it hit me. I had fallen in love with Chuck. I can't pinpoint an exact day or time or moment, it happened slowly without me even realizing it. That's why it hurt so much to see him or be near him…
Without thinking I turned on my heel without looking and collided with something or rather someone tall dark and handsome. I felt something wet seeping through the front of my dress and looked up startled to see a dark spikey haired guy holding an empty glass. "I am so sorry! I didn't even see you." He apologized searching a nearby table for some napkins or something to hand to me.
"It's okay. It was my fault." I reassured him. I looked down at the tan wet stain on the front of my dress and was thankful the wetness had mostly hit my stomach.
"Wow, I feel terrible." He said giving me a nervous smile handing me a handful of napkins. I blotched my dress as best as I could but eventually gave up. It only seemed to make the forming stain look worse.
"Don't worry about it. It's alright." I said smiling weakly before trying to walk away from him.
"Can I at least get you a drink? I mean I feel like it's the least I can do since I drenched you." He offered cocking his head to the side. He smiled and I felt a familiar fluttering in my lower stomach and the warmth rushing to my cheeks. He was cute in a preppy kind of way.
"I guess you're right. It is the least you could do." I countered back smiling as he gestured for me to walk inside with him. I've never seen him before, yet he looked oddly familiar. "I'm Caleb, Caleb Andrews by the way." He announced as we waited in line to get a drink. Andrews? I recognized that name from somewhere.
"Lux, Woodley." I said as he shook my hand holding it a little longer than he really needed too. I found myself chewing on my lip staring at him while we waited in line. His broad shoulders were tucked snugly inside his white button down shirt.
"Are you here summering in the Hamptons?" I asked after he handed me a new drink. We wondered outside as I saw Nate and Serena in a total lip lock across the way. What the hell? As they broke apart laughing I spotted someone I never imagined would show up here. Dan Humphrey…Well, things just got interesting I thought as I followed Caleb.
"Actually my family just moved back to New York. We lived in Japan for a year so my father could open another business. Now that's done and we are back in the city. New school though." Caleb explained as we found an empty table to stand at.
"What school are you going to now?" I asked trying to be cute and act interested in what he had to say.
"St. Jude's. Have you heard of it?" He asked swallowing the last of the liquid in his glass and pulling his phone out of his pocket.
"Actually I do. St. Jude's connects to Constance, I go there. So, it looks like I'll be seeing you around then." I smiled noticing Chuck watching us. I shot daggers at him from across the patio and prayed he would go away. He looked jealous and pissed that I was talking to another guy.
"Lucky me then." Caleb smirked looking at me clearly flirting a little too much. It felt nice though.
Caleb and I made small talk for about an hour. He told me how he loved living in Japan, but he missed New York and being in his element. He also informed me that his father owned a landscaping business that he ran over the summer. "Were you at the mansion on Belle Vista Lane the other day?" I asked as he nodded his head yes.
"Is that your house?" He arched his bushy eyebrows at me. "No, my friend Serena's grandmother's house." I said feeling the slight awkwardness between the two of us dissipated the longer we talked to one another. He was charming and very sweet as we talked to one another. I was laughing at something he said when I felt an arm snake around my waist and turned my head to see Chuck standing beside me grinning at me.
"Who's your friend?" He asked knocking back the rest of his scotch as I moved out of his grasp.
"Caleb? And you are?" Caleb asked noticing how uncomfortable I had become in Chuck's presence.
"Chuck Bass. I see you've already met my friend Lux here." Chuck beamed touching the small of my back and making me want to vomit.
"Caleb is going to our school this year." I smiled looking directly at Chuck. He looked like he could care less about Caleb standing a mere few feet away from us. "Would you excuse me for a second?" Caleb said touching my hand and stepping away to take a phone call.
"What do you want Bass?" I hissed through gritted teeth trying not to make a scene in front of everyone gathered nearby. Chuck stood next to me and smirked.
"I just came over to see what was so fucking funny between the two of you. I mean I'm over there minding my own business and you keep looking over at me trying to get a rise out of me? Am I wrong?" Chuck whispered looking directly into my eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head at his foolish nonsense.
"You're wrong. I could care less about you." I snapped at him as Caleb rejoined us. He slipped his cell pack into his pocket and smiled at me.
"So I'm late for a bonfire on the beach, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to join me? Unless it's too soon to hang out with some guy you don't know." Caleb asked completing ignoring Chuck's presence. I liked him already just for that ability alone.
"Actually it is a little soon." Chuck blurted out hastily.
"A bonfire sounds great. Besides, you can't be worse than the guys I do know." I countered back glancing at Chuck knowing I was getting to him. I wanted him to feel how heartbroken I felt.
"Well then, I'll have the valet bring my truck around then." Caleb smirked.
"You know it's a shame you don't have a limo, Lux here really loves to have…" Chuck started to blurt out when I stepped on his foot discreetly causing him to smirk and laugh while he leaned into the side of the table in pain. Caleb smiled at me as I patted Chuck's should faking concern before following Caleb out of the party. God, I hate that Chuck Basstard.
Caleb went to get his truck and left me to wait out front. I pulled my phone out to text Blair whom I haven't seen all night to tell her I was leaving and that I would be home later. I looked at my phone to see twenty messages from Blair…
James isn't who he said he was. –B
He's a prince! I'm going to be a princess! – B
His real name is Marcus Beaton!? He's an English Lord! –B
I had to read the texts about three times to be sure I had read them correctly. As I was about to text her back with a million questions I felt someone walk up beside me and turned to see Chuck standing there. I rolled my eyes and stepped away from him. "Are you here to try and embarrass me some more?" I snapped glaring at him clenching my phone in my hand.
"I never should have left you in Tuscany." Chuck said taking me by surprise. His eyes met mine for a moment and I looked away quickly. I didn't want to talk about this. It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me as I stood there in front of him.
"I knew I made the wrong decision the moment I boarded another flight. I've spent all summer hoping I wouldn't feel it anymore, but I still do." Chuck said desperately as our eyes locked. He stepped closer as my chest tightened and I felt light headed.
"And?" I whispered. He looked at me with a broken expression. His eyes were weary like he was possibly holding back his emotions.
"I was scared, okay? I was scared that if we ended up spending the entire summer together you would see…" He started to say shaking his head and looking at the ground to avoid looking at me. Chuck hated feelings and the fact that he was even standing here trying to explain to me how he felt meant something. But it's too late, isn't it? How can I forgive him?
"See what?" I asked practically begging him to tell me what was running through his mind.
"Me…" He breathed out staring at me.
"Well you made sure I saw the real you when I woke up alone the next day." I pointed out swallowing back the lump in my throat. Chuck stepped closer to me so we were only standing a few inches apart and placed his hand on my hip. A flood of emotions washed over me as I remembered how good it felt to be this close to him and how safe he made me feel.
"Don't leave with that guy." He said begging me with his eyes. He pulled me closer to him slightly. I can't forgive what he did to me. I feel like he broke me and I'll never be able to be put back together.
"Why should I stay? Give me a reason and 'I'm Chuck Bass doesn't count." I whispered hoping he would just let me all of the way in. I never asked him to change who he was or how he acted. I liked him for him, as weird as that may seem.
"Because you don't want too." He said leaning his forehead against mine and holding me in front of him. I nudged my head against his and felt the tears building in my eyes. I felt his warm breath against my cheek every time he took a breath.
"That's not good enough." I said feeling my voice crack.
"Because I don't want you too." Chuck pleaded again reaching up and holding the side of my face in his hand. He was breaking my heart all over again. I placed my hands on his chest as he held me close to him. I breathed him in and felt myself getting lost in him so quickly.
"That's not enough." I whispered still leaning my head against his. He ran his thumb over my cheek causing me to look up at him.
"What else is there?" He asked letting his hand cup my chin. He doesn't know how to be vulnerable with anyone. If I tell him I love him it'll never matter because he will never say it back.
"Give me the real reason why I should stay right here with you and not go anywhere. Three words, eight letters, say it and I'm yours." I said staring into his dreamy brown eyes. He hesitated and I could see the thoughts strangling him on the inside. I waited in anticipation for him to say it, but it never came.
"I…I…can't." He whispered shattering the remainder of my heart. It felt like I'd been shot in the chest. Except instead of a bullet hole it was a Chuck shaped cut out. I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek for a split second feeling him place his hand on my side again. I let my lips linger on his cheek and felt him hold onto me tighter as if he were holding on for dear life.
"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear. You need to move on Chuck…we need to let each other go." I whispered stepping away from him knowing it was the right decision to be making. Chuck would never be all the way in this with me and I was stupid to think thy maybe he would. I wiped a stray tear that escaped from my eye and heard the rumble of a car pulling up behind me. I unclasped my purse and pulled out the necklace he gave me and handed it to him.
"I can't keep this anymore." I whispered as he took it out of my hand. "It's yours. I want you to have it." He said in a strained voice. I shook my head no and stepped away from him.
Turning on my heel I headed for Caleb's truck and tried to not burst completely into tears before getting in the truck. I mean how embarrassing would that be in front of some guy I hardly know. I took a few deep breaths and painted a fake smile on my face as the valet opened the door to the truck for me.
"Lux wait, don't…" Chuck said still standing behind me. Without looking back I slide into the truck…
