Chapter 6 - I hate you

"Just like that you're going to let Charles continue to dictate your life?" Eleanor wasn't trying to hide her anger at the situation. In fact, as soon as she heard the news about Chuck, she had got on the first flight to New York. She had already witnessed the Chuck Bass ruining Blair Waldorf's life fall out and she wasn't about to let him do that to her daughter again.

"It isn't like that mother." Blair replied. She had tried to avoid telling her mother about Chuck's return because she didn't want her judgement on the issue. She didn't know why she had come to New York. She didn't need her here questioning her especially when she didn't know how to feel and didn't want to face the reality of it. She hated Chuck so what did it matter if he had returned? Why was everyone so sure she was going to crumble and let him back into her life?

"So what is it like then? He didn't leave you running his business? He didn't return with a fiancé? Where is she by the way did you run her out of town already?" Eleanor knew what Blair was capable of if she wanted to achieve something. She had a dark side that she wasn't always happy to see in her.

"Chuck is one of my oldest friends. He asked me to do something and I did it. I had nothing to do with her leaving so what if he returned engaged?" She knew it wasn't true but she needed others to believe it. It wasn't a complete lie though as her and Chuck had been friends long before anything happened between them.

"While he left you wearing that ring around your neck."

"What ring?" Blair tried to avoid eye contact with her mother. She knew exactly what ring she was talking about.

"You may have taken it back, I'm guessing you returned it to him but you don't fool me Blair, I know you were wearing his engagement ring around your neck."

"Mother, please, I have to get to the Empire." She couldn't talk about this. She thought no one knew she was wearing that ring around her neck and she certainly didn't want to admit what it meant to her.

"You're still running it?" Eleanor's disgust at the situation was back. When would her daughter learn that nothing good would come from her life while Charles was still in it.

"Yes, no, only until I meet with my lawyer to figure out if the ownership can be reverted back."

"So just like that?" Eleanor asked. She may not have been present in much of her daughter's life while she was growing up but she still knew her pretty well. Just like she knew about the ring and why Blair kept it close she knew still cared about Chuck.

"Just like what? It is his hotel."

"And you're still worrying about his reputation." It wasn't a question it was a statement. It is all Blair cared about. She was able to reveal more about Chuck than anyone but she refused to talk to any of the media after his mistaken death. She fought to get anything negative out of the press and made out even then it was to save her reputation as she had been associated with him and was still attached to it by running the Empire.

"No, I care about mine. The Empire has been quite successful since I've been running it and I don't want to ruin that because all it will do is ruin my reputation and Chuck knows that."

"Still playing games I see."

"What games? We're not playing anything because there is nothing between us."

"He just can't let you go. Leaving you with the Empire even on his return so he can have some sort of connection even if it is a business relationship with you. Does he even realise everything you've given up for him?"

"Why would he?" Blair was getting annoyed now, she didn't want her mother interfering because she knew she would tell Chuck everything that had happened since he had been gone.

"You didn't tell him?"

"No. He doesn't need to know. Look mother can we resume this later I really need to get to the Empire and see my lawyer?"

"Just be careful Blair."

"It's just a meeting."

"You know that's not what I was referring to."

"Bye mother."

Eleanor stepped out of her daughter's way and Dorota handed Blair her jacket.

"Lily, don't you think this is all a bit much?" Chuck looked around the room. He had no idea how Lily managed to pull this together in such a short amount of time and find this many people that wanted to celebrate him not being dead. No doubt they were here out of obligation. The transition for him taking back Bass Industries was going smoothly and he only had Lily to thank for that.

"Of course not Charles, it's just a shame we couldn't throw it at the Empire." Lily knew it was a touchy subject so she tried to comfort Chuck by putting her hand on his arm.

"The Palace is my home at the moment so it makes more sense to host it here." Chuck didn't want to invite another debate about why he hadn't taken back control of the Empire. Everyone but Lily thought it was a game, Lily just saw it as him hiding from his feelings for Blair. As if on cue Blair walked into the room and he failed to hide the smile on his face from seeing her. "You invited her?"

"Charles play nice."

"Why is she here Lily?" He turned his attention away from Blair to look at Lily.

"Why shouldn't she be here?" Lily looked at Chuck as she was confused. She caught the way he smiled when Blair entered the room so couldn't understand why he was questioning her being here. He clearly wanted her to be.

"She shouldn't have to pretend to be happy I'm back."

"Is that what you think she is doing?" Lily turned her attention to Blair. Chuck hadn't seen what his leaving had done to Blair, how she became a shell of herself, how she had put all her effort into making sure since didn't disappoint him or his legacy. Since he had come back some of the light was back in her and Lily couldn't understand why the pair of them were still denying how they felt about each other. It was draining for everyone around them. Blair made eye contact with Lily and made her way over to her.

"Blair, thanks for coming." Lily hugged Blair.

"Thanks for inviting me." Blair said to Lily but Chuck knew it she was making a point to him that he didn't invite her himself.

"I'll give you two a minute." Lily kissed Chuck on the cheek and then moved to do the same to Blair.

Chuck knew what Lily was doing. She set this up to get them to talk but didn't know Chuck had already tried that. "Surprised you're here Waldorf."

"Like I said to Lily, I wouldn't miss it."

"Didn't have you pegged for celebrating my return." They were both avoiding looking at each other and instead chose to watch what everyone else was doing.

"Who said anything about celebrating?"

"Not your favourite champagne in your hand then?" He pointed to the glass she was holding.

"Doesn't mean it is a celebration. It was rude to say no when it was offered to me."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Lily asked me."

"Could have easily said no. Ah! Just had to be here to stop anything from being said about your absence."

Blair glared at him. How dare he? Yes, she didn't want to fuel anymore in the press about her in relation to him but she also wanted to be here. Didn't he know by now that she was the one person that was always here for him whether she hated him or not? "Oh look, Serena and Nate."

Chuck looked away from Blair to see that Serena and Nate had entered together and it was clear that they were more than just friends arriving at the same time. "Who invited them?"

"Lily did."

"Why?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

"They look close. He forgave her for the Dan then?"

"Nothing happened with her and Dan."

"Why so defensive Blair? She did spend the night with him, you believe nothing happened? There was photographic evidence."

"We all make mistakes."

"Yeah and some mistakes are more easily forgotten depending on who makes them."

"Chuck, if you want to get involved with what is going on with them then maybe you should talk to them about it."

"I think we've said all we need to say."

"You're right. I'm going to go. Try not to hold a grudge against them for too long, it won't help pretending like you don't care, when clearly you still do. They're your oldest friends and you didn't see what happened when we thought you had gone. Maybe if you did you would understand what they are feeling right now. It's going to take time but they are worth it and you know that."

"Still think you can read me that well?"

"I know I can." Blair walked away from Chuck and headed towards Nate and Serena.

Chuck watched her as she put on her best fake smile and hugged Serena. He wasn't ready to get into another conversation with them in front of everyone that was important to Bass Industries. He knew it would no doubt get heightened again and this wasn't the right place to do that. If they wanted to talk to him they knew where he was so he tried to spot Lily in the room.

Chuck saw the last of the guests out of the private room at the Palace. He started to head towards the bar. He needed a scotch. Just as he was about to leave the room she caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He thought he was the only one left in the room but he was wrong. She did have a way of always surprising him.

"What are you still doing here Blair?" He walked over towards her. He was exhausted after having to keep engaged with business associates all afternoon and he wasn't interested in engaging in an argument with Blair.

"I just wanted you to know it's done." She went and met him half way, it was nearer to the door and she didn't want to get caught in a conversation with him for longer than necessary, when there was no one else around. It was always dangerous territory for the two of them to be alone in a room.

"What's done?" He asked, he was confused. Did he ask her to do anything for him?

"I met with my lawyer today the Empire is no longer mine." She couldn't help but smirk. She could tell by his reaction that she had managed to catch him off guard. She couldn't understand why he actually thought she was going to keep hold of the Empire. She wanted and needed to move on and she couldn't do that while still being tied to him. It was time for her to find out who she was without Chuck Bass.

"Blair." It wasn't a question, it was a warning, not a threatening one. This wasn't the end of something to Chuck this was the start of something and he didn't want them to be engaging in a game anymore. It never ended well and he didn't want to see her hurt again even if it meant he had to suffer.

"It's yours. You risked everything and put it into the Empire."

"Because you believed in me." The words left his mouth before he had time to realise the memory he was bringing up.

"Chuck."

"This wasn't a game." He was serious. He didn't want this to be a game and he wanted her to know he wasn't trying to engage in one.

"Who said it wasn't?" She was satisfied that if it was supposed to be a game she had the upper hand now which meant she won.

"I didn't want the Empire back."

"Well, I didn't want it."

Chuck smirked. "Don't lie to me Blair. You know you can't lie to me. It's obvious running the Empire proved to you the kind of powerful woman I always knew you were. You were finally showing everyone else what you are capable of too and now you've given that away for what? To prove something to me? You've never needed to prove anything to me, Blair, I know who you are."

"Stop."

"Stop what? Am I not allowed to compliment you?" The air in the room shifted. They were taking a trip down memory lane and with it came the emotions those memories brought up. He was the first person to show Blair that she could be who she wanted to be instead of who everyone expected her to be.

"No." Blair knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to worm his way in and he knew exactly how to get her guard down, he always did.

"Why?"

"Because I hate you."

"Good, because I've never hated anyone more."

He stepped closer to her which meant he was now too close. She could feel it, the electricity, her body reacting to him. She did hate him but she couldn't ignore the fireworks between them and she could see he felt it too. It was too late to step away, the confusing mixture of emotions she was feeling since he returned were coming to the surface as she could smell his familiar aftershave and feel his breath on his favourite spot on her neck.

"Do you still want me to stop Blair?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

There was those three words but not the eight letters that were all too familiar to her. The ones he had asked her the first time he had seen the real her in the back of her limo. She couldn't think straight as her desire to feel him took over. She pulled on the lapel of his suit.

"Yes." Just like she did the first time she leant in to kiss him.