Chapter Thirty-Three

Oh My Stars

If I am lost, find me, but do not ask me to come back just yet.

Sit with me in this lost place and maybe you will understand why I come here too often.

Find me, but bring me back when I am ready.

Maybe you will get to know me a little better.

Maybe we can get lost together.

"Strangely enough, your late husband has no written will," The lawyer gravely announced, peering over a stack of papers clasped by his sweaty hands. "His death was premature, surely, but great men always have black on white - to protect their families, of course."

Great men.

They never referred to women as great. Women were always either beautiful or witty.

Never great.

Diana Sparks, clad in her finest black dress, so everyone could see she was in mourning, crossed her waxed legs - a subtle sign of discomfort. Family. There was never any family. Just usual pretenses and strict business. She had the looks, George had the money. The perfect match, the perfect marriage, all to get her right where she wanted to be. ''And what does that mean for me?"

"We'll take care of the standard procedure," The lawyer put the papers down, pushing his glasses up his wide shiny nose. His watery eyes stared dully at the woman. "25% of legal assets will go to you, and the remaining 75% belongs to miss Georgina Sparks. Miss Sparks will also inherit management of the hotel."

At the unwelcome news, the woman uncrossed her legs, her nearly perfect facade disintegrating with rising panic in voice. All of the hard work she put into that marriage, it would not all be for nothing. The Millennium would be hers. ''Georgina is not even twenty. It's preposterous; she simply can't take care of a hotel.''

''From a legal standpoint,'' The lawyer went on with same monotony, not paying attention to Diana's rushed words. ''Everything goes to miss Sparks. Her signature and chair are the crown jewels of the board now.''

Somewhere outside the walls of the modern, spacious office, a phone rang. The sound was muffled behind thick mahogany doors, reverberating through the hall outside, while the black clothed woman mulled things over. She was no longer a wife, no longer a stepmother - Diana Sparks was finally someone who had power within her grasp. A woman who didn't have to rely on another's wealth, and one insipid, foolish little girl would not stop her now.

''Now listen,'' She purred with skillful intention, leaning across the desk, fully aware her cleavage was on full display. ''I feel horrible for discussing this while still in mourning, however, I have a daughter to think of. We need to do what's best for her.''

It took all but a whip of her perfume and a sly, sultry glance between lashes for the man to take the bait. His watery blue eyes flickered from the skin under her collarbone up to her enticing green eyes, surrounded with thick black mascara, barely listening to what the lips were saying.

''To be quite honest with you, Georgina is a troubled child,'' Diana pressed on, pushing her forearms together. ''She has a history of mental issues. It just wouldn't be fair to burden her with so many responsibilities.''

At those words, lawyer's head snapped up and his eyes squinted in focus. ''That sounds serious. In that case, she'll either have to transfer power to you, or you'll have to document her situation and request to be her guardian.''

Satisfied, Diana leaned back and crossed her legs again. ''I don't think the use of force will be necessary. Georgina will come to the realization that it's all for her good-being if I take care things. After all, I do have a family to take care of.''

''I'm still angry with you,'' Blair looked down at him, arms crossed over her chest. Ed looked handsome as ever dressed in a black vest and dark pea coat, but autumn wasn't his season. He looked carved for summer's heat and salty waves. The city's rusty leaves and wet streets looked strange around him, like a shirt that hung too loosely on his shoulders.

His eyes brightened slightly as he looked up, Ed carefully folded the newspapers he'd been reading. ''I beg to differ, I think I may actually be the only person you aren't angry with."

The calmness of his demeanor still ruled the atmosphere, monopolizing the air. No matter how hard she tried to keep up the tension, it easily dissipated with him. He had always been her friend, always someone by her side - without judging her words, actions or thoughts. Always someone to comfort and offer a consultation. It was the fact he tried to pay the debt, tried to actively involve himself in the hell that she created a long time ago, that shocked her and made her furious. It was something Blair wanted to prevent at any cost.

He was better than them. He was better than this.

After the inviting motion of his tanned hand, she was secretly glad to sit down at his table and pursed her lips together. "You weren't being fair. The stunt you pulled was-"

''The stunt?'' He interrupted, clearly offended. Ed pushed away the cup of already cold coffee and leaned on the table towards her. "Is that what you call it? A stunt? Blair, I just wanted to help you. I saw a problem and I knew I could easily take care of it."

''You don't suppose it's that simple?''

''Alright, I admit; I didn't consider how you would feel about it at the time,'' He sighed, his eyebrows knotted in a contemplative gloom. ''Or Chuck. Did he get angry about it? Did he cross the line? How many times has he done that before?''

Their conversations lately always seem to end on the topic of Chuck. For some reason, Ed always went after him, bringing him up regularly, if only to shed a bad light on his name leaving Blair with the strong urge to defend her ex-boyfriend. It was a cursed circle. They were right around the corner of Constance Uni, and the air was laced with the smell of cinnamon and freshly baked bagels.

She hadn't seen Chuck today. However, word around the school was that he had been suspended.

He had crossed the line, for sure. He had crossed it while fighting Anthony like a reckless fool. He had crossed it - for her. She was well aware of that fact. The thought of him protecting her made her brain gooey, and her stomach feel like mush. A sense of hope felt good, however unwelcome. She pushed the feeling away, embarrassed by the wave of glee that flooded her when she thought of him still caring for her.

He couldn't. It was unthinkable. Chuck was just protecting his reputation.

But the itch in the base of her spine told her otherwise.

She looked away, eyes fixed on the people outside the café. It was the period between classes, and as such the street was brimming with her fellow students. The few that noticed her laughed. Her lies were all still there, waiting in ambush, ready to remind her she was nothing but a joke. She exhaled heavily and hastily got up, ready to flee.

''They know?'' Ed's cool voice startled her, his eyes boring into a handful of girls that had stopped outside, giggling and gossiping as they pointed Blair out.

''Yes.'' His observation didn't surprise her.

''I grew up with that kind of people,'' His sky blue eyes were distant, as he watched them. ''I know how horrible they can be. Don't let their cruelty sway you. They're just bored.''

''I don't care that they're laughing at me,'' She fingered the end of the chair, gliding her fingers over the smooth surface and trailing patterns. ''But this is the first time I've felt so lonely.''

Not because Penelope had left for London. Not because all of her so-called 'friends' abandoned her the moment they found out she was poor. It was the acute sense of the loss of a lover. Of a best friend.

An acute sense of loss of Chuck. He'd been avoiding her, keeping his distance, holding back whatever he felt inside.

She knew he was lonely too. She could see it in his slumped shoulders. It was in the perpetual cloud over his brows, in his silence and in the slightest pout of lips. It was in watching her behind tinted windows of the limo before class just when he thought she wasn't looking. It was in the Saturday nights at home, Chinese delivery, and a silent apartment.

She left Ed, knowing there was only one place to go to.

It took some time for him to open the door after the bell rang. The urge to turn and flee was compelling, lingering at the back of her mind, but it dispersed the second the doors opened. One look at him made her forget why was she even there in the first place, but Blair was certain she didn't want to be anywhere else. His shadowed eyes trailed her face, stopping at the small wound on her lip. It had almost healed. She didn't try to hide it from him this time.

Nobody cared to ask her about the split lip. Nobody else had even noticed.

''Can I come in?'' She asked softly, as they stared at each other through the doorway. She anxiously clutched the ends of her sweater, fearing he would turn her away.

Instead, after a few moments of silence, he let her in with the slightest nod of his head. She wordlessly followed him through to the living room, inhaling his cologne that tangled with slight vanilla scent, eying his broad shoulders with a foreboding sense in her chest. She had returned the ring, yet she couldn't let him go. Blair grappled for any pathetic excuse to be near him.

''Would you like something to drink?'' He murmured, heading for the liquor cabinet without waiting for an answer, turning his back to her. She paused by the couch, surprised by the sudden hospitality and made fidgety by the latter thought.

''It's barely noon,'' She replied, looking around.

The apartment looked cleaner than last time as if someone finally put in the effort to clean it. Perhaps he had hired a maid? The suite was neat, and the blinds were drawn open, casting the entire place in late afternoon shadow. She heard him shut the cabinet doors, watched him lean on it, his back still turned to her.

Somehow, this bothered Blair. She wanted to see his face, to watch the muscles of his cheeks contract and expand, lines of his forehead crease and smooth out.

She wanted him to come closer.

Glasses were left untouched. Finally, he turned to face her. Their eyes met for a moment and she shivered as his gaze averted. He looked somewhere left of her head, but not at her.

There was a nervousness in the shift of his shoulders. An air of insecurity hung about them. Uncertainty.

''I'm sorry you got suspended.'' Blair said, taking a tentative step towards him.

His eyes snapped up in surprise, she fought everything to keep her composure, heart beating violently.

''It happens.'' Chuck stated, a touch confused, his voice mellow as butter and he shrugged, locking gazes with her.

''Anthony is a complete moron,'' She went on bravely, taking another step that brought her closer to him. Blair saw his body tense and she inhaled deeply, closing in on the distance until they were a mere couple of inches apart. ''He'd do everything to set you off.''

Chuck said nothing, but her eyes zeroed in on the way his fingers grasped tightly at the edge of the table, knuckles turning white. Blair's heart hammered as she held his gaze, his penetrating, wild onyx eyes and the distance between them disappeared with a last short stride as if it was never even there. Some invisible barrier between them shattered, the ice melted off and suddenly - there was nothing but air between them.

His breath fell short, coming out in barely audible pants and nothing else mattered. The feeling in her chest peaked, the orchestra of anxiety and trepidation, followed by relentless heartbeats. She savored the way his body pushed itself off the table towards her, as if they were two sides of the magnet, meeting her halfway to whatever they were now, whatever place of fallen grace they stood in.

She loved him, god how she loved him. She loved the way he walked, the way he talked, the unsteady rising and falling of his chest - every little thing. They had spent months apart, yet somehow still together, and Blair wasn't ready to let him go.

''Chuck, I -'' And just as she opened her mouth to release the words that would change the rotation of the Earth, words that had the power to describe the dark side of the moon - the doorbell rang.

Neither of them backed away and the bell rang again, announcing an impatient visitor. Then there came a series of forceful knocks. His gaze didn't divert from her this time, but she felt the curtain being drawn closed again. Blair swiftly looked away. ''You should check the doors.''

She didn't gauge his reaction, but it took several moments for him to detach himself from the spot and walk away.

''It's my mother,'' He whispered, peeping through the spy hole, a deep crease settling between eyebrows. He made no move to let her in and his eyes flicked over to Blair as if they were partners in crime and they just committed an unforgivable felony. A sense of togetherness overwhelmed both of them, an indescribable feeling of sharing something secret, something dark and private that belonged only to them.

''Charles, open the doors,'' Evelyn's velvety frantic voice said on the other side. ''I spoke to Arthur downstairs, I know you're in there.''

''I don't want her to see me.'' Blair stated decidedly, knowing there was no avoiding his mother. Her visit was obviously something urgent and she didn't want Chuck to get in trouble on her account - yet again. She didn't want to damage their relationship further. Blair subconsciously took hold of his hand, seeking aid. Evelyn was clear in her opinion of Blair and finding her here would do no good to anyone. It would be unnecessary mess and confrontation was a sour thought.

His eyes sharply cut into the link that connected them, the metaphysical spot where his warmth emitted from ends of his fingertips to her body. Immediately, realization dawned on her and she felt like a simpleton for trespassing forbidden grounds that once welcomed her with caresses. How easy was it to get carried away by his soft look and silken words. Just as she was about to pull back and shy away - Blair felt a light pressure on her fingers.

It wasn't a simple gesture of reassurance. It was a signal of a new era.

Chuck didn't retreat. He didn't recoil from her touch, but their minds were one.

''Go to my bedroom,'' He ordered as her body turned into a ground for an amusement park; there were dozens of roller-coasters sliding circularly through her head, dipping down to her guts and going up the heart for grand finale. A surge of electricity sparked the nerves of her body, spreading through their endings all the way up to goosebumps. For a second, she felt light headed.

Blair barely heard him when he said, ''I'll tell her to leave.''

Her senses could hardly register the meaning of those words, the obvious preference of her company, raw selfish craving for her presence - like a prayer being answered, but the answer went unheard. It was a promise of a new tomorrow.

Her heart raced wildly as she got into his bedroom, adrenaline pumping through veins. Back leaned on the cold wall, she exhaled shakily. Blair lifted up the hand that Chuck touched and she pressed it against her flushed cheek. How could one single person have this effect on her, even after everything that had happened?

What illogical superb magic powers ruled the universe?

"Charles, let me in.''

"Mother," She heard him say firmly, detecting only a tinge of awkwardness underneath.

''Charles!'' There was the sound of doors being forced open and loud heels in the hall. "I just found out and this time, you won't be able to resent me keeping secrets from you. This time, you'll be let known immediately."

"Let known what?" The tone of his voice changed, Blair sensed the flicker of the doubt in it. Trepidation in her chest increased at an alarming rate.

"This," There was the sound of a zipper being opened. "This is fake."

"Where did you get that?" Chuck sounded bothered, his voice strangely strained.

"I found it while I was cleaning your room. I went to Tiffany's to return this precious ruby ring, but I couldn't. I have a surprise for you; Charles, you've been lied to. This ring is fake."

It took but a second for the world to come crashing down on her head. Wheels in motion stopped and fell down in an ashen pile, every progress negated and disappeared into a vortex of irretrievable darkness.

"Fake?" Blair whispered at first, but then cried out loud, ready to prove them wrong. "It can't be fake!"

Evelyn's dark eyes widened in mortification as she beheld her treacherous figure in the hall, like an unwelcome shadow persisting to exist in the light. Blair didn't care that Chuck's mother stared at her murderously. All she could see was the drained color of his face, as pale as January sky. He avoided meeting her eyes and it chilled her to the bones. That feeling of intimate unity was replaced with disbelief and temper.

"You," Evelyn spat, coming to her senses. The woman seemed to be trembling with unspeakable anger. "What are you doing here?!"

"Mother," Chuck said forcefully, taking a step to stand between them.

"You dared to throw a fake ring in my son's face?!" She barked, furiously throwing the ring at her feet, supposing what anyone would suppose; that Blair had sold the real ring only to return the fake one, hoping to earn the Chuck's favor with the grand gesture. The lying predator had sneaked right back into their lives.

"Chuck," Blair inhaled deeply, forcing herself to calm, while her heart hammered painfully. "You have to believe me-"

"Why should I?" He glared at her as he continued to hold his mother back. The ice between them built up again. "Just go."

And with those few cold words, Blair knew the battle was lost. There was no point in pressing the matter any further, it was clear from the look on his face he wouldn't believe her, and Blair had no evidence to prove him wrong. This battle was lost, and the war had yet to be won.

Wordlessly, she passed by them, her own sense of anger and betrayal boiling like a magma under a thick layer of rocks and dirt.

Chuck wasn't the only person that got played that day.

"Mom," She called out as soon as she arrived home. Jessica's head snapped up at the sudden entrance, fashion magazine falling into her lap. "Mom!"

"Quit shouting," Dan's insufferable fiancé drawled, massaging her temples in an overly dramatic fashion. "You're giving me a headache."

"Mom!"

"Honey," Jane said, closing the bathroom door, still shaking her hands dry. "What's happened?"

"Where did you really find my ring?" Her voice cracked, her throat strained with effort.

"I'll leave," Jessica rose, grabbing her fake Prada purse from the coffee table. "It looks like you two might need some privacy."

"Sweetheart, what are you saying?" Jane shook her head in confusion. "Has the ring been found?"

Blair stared at her own mother in disbelief, remembering all too well Jessica giving her the ring, saying Jane found it under the bed.

She grit her teeth before pulling Jessica by the elbow back in the apartment. "You are staying right here! Explain this!"

''You're hurting me!'' Jessica wailed, arching in pain, struggling to set herself free.

''Good!'' She spat, wrenching her harder, ignoring Jane's wide panicked eyes. "Where's my ring, Jessica?!" Blair demanded, digging nails into her skin. "I'm not going to play games with you! What happened to my ring?"

''I thought it was the same one,'' She cried out innocently, but her eyes flashed like lightning, leading a silent rebellion. ''I lost your ring! So I went out and got the another one. In Claire's - like you told me!''

''Blair,'' Her mom tried to separate them, worried that Bob or Dan might come in and lash out. ''If the girl says-''

''She's lying!''

''Blair,'' She scolded more harshly, dragging her breathless daughter away. ''Let her go! It's just a simple ring.''

Jessica looked at Blair with spite, silently daring her to contradict her mom, and in that moment she revealed the truth through a single look - Jessica knew the real ring was nothing that could be so bought easily. She knew the ring was something real and expensive. How had she come to that realization, Blair didn't know.

''This isn't over yet,'' Blair grit through teeth, shoving Jessica away from herself, and did the only thing that could be done in this situation for now. She let the bitch go.

Chuck stared at the glass of scotch. It was the same glass the bartender filled him an hour ago. The strong alcohol odor had weakened, but still faintly lingered in the scented air of Tropic. The ice cubes had melted, disappearing into the amber liquid. The elixir held no attraction anymore. He had planned to stay here until night fell, until crowd filled the forlorn space and helped him remind what was he like before.

Before Blair. Before his world got turned upside-down.

Today, he was ready to forget everything. He paid the price in an instant. Hope bred misery, and Chuck had just been reminded of that damned fact.

''Mr. Bass,'' The bouncer came up to him, not daring to touch the great Heir, keeping his respectful distance. ''Someone is here to see you.''

''I told you I didn't wish to be disturbed,'' He drawled, fingering the edge of the glass idly.

''Sir,'' Bouncer persisted, his apologetic expression looking ridiculous on his scary stout frame. ''I believe you wish to see him. It's Mr. Morelli, the gentlemen who came pay off the car debt last time.''

Chuck stiffened, his finger freezing in midair.

Morelli.

A name he couldn't fathom hear, let alone utter. A name that haunted him in sleep, a name that clouded everything in it's wake. The name of Blair's boyfriend. The name of someone that he never spoke a word to, but already decidedly hated. A phantom apparition taking it's shape and form.

Finally, the hour struck to face the one person that replaced him so easily. Time to face a man who occupied so much of Blair's time, like he used to do before.

The man that stood between him and her. A man that wished to remove the only loose tie that connected Chuck to Blair - the debt. Because once the debt was paid, Blair would have no reason to stay close to Chuck.

And the thought of it made him peculiarly queasy.

He shot up from the table and went out in the lobby with long fast strides, fixing his lapels. The bouncer followed behind, but it took only a flick of the wrist and he stayed put, like an obedient dog.

''Captain,'' Chuck spat menacingly at the sight of Morelli. Feeling of hate spread through him like a plague, an indescribably heavy emotion that made him want to punch the guy's smug face. What had he coerced Blair into doing to earn her the favor of him returning the debt? What had he made her do? The thought made him sick. ''What do you want?''

Edward Morelli seized his opponent in a single look.

He saw Chuck as all that was wrong with the world, a spoiled Upper East Side boy who had too much time and money on his hands, who took sadistic pleasure in torturing Blair out of boredom. Two men spoke for the first time and there was a silent agreement that they loathed each other. Tension crackled between them and their nostrils flared, like bulls preparing to ram their horns through a red curtain.

''I came here to tell you the truth,'' Edward stood tall, his blue eyes electrifying. ''Blair didn't know I came here to pay off her debt. Whatever you did to her because of that - however, you think you punished her - it was wrong. She was unaware of my intentions. ''

Chuck clenched his jaw. He remembered the girls he brought home to spite her, the way he lashed out on her family, all the horrible words he said to her - only to make her hurt as much as he was hurting inside. There was a wound somewhere in the right side of his chest and it bled profusely. ''How do you know what I did?''

Had she told him? Did this man, this smug bastard know their history, their good and bad moments? Had Blair told him all of her secrets while their heads lay next to each other on pillows, hair tangled together as the boat swayed on waves? Had she abandoned Chuck for him? The thought sent him into a silent raging fit.

''She's not part of your life anymore,'' Morelli stated fiercely, fists curled at sides. Blue eyes flashed lightning, provoking a fight. His words rang authority, claiming Blair with a mere tone of his voice. ''You should just let Blair go, walk out of her life.''

The thought of Blair no longer being part of his life made something in Chuck snap. His calculated cool broke and he quickly closed the distance between them, taking a fistful of Morelli's collar. The tension crescendoed to full on scuffle, the testosterone levels rising well over the limit.

''You talk too much,'' He spat through gritted teeth, ready to bleed and draw blood. He was pissed off and knew the fury within him was wrong, he should had no reason to care, Blair betrayed him, replaced him easily. He knew, yet he still clutched the collar, letting his emotions finally take control.

Morelli shook him off but didn't pursue the brawl any further. He straightened lapels of his coat with single dismayed, ''I'll be seeing you around.''

Chuck didn't even have time to recollect when his phone rang.

''Mister Bass,'' A faintly familiar male voice said on the other line. ''This is Barnaby Jules, calling in from Tiffany's&Co. The ruby ring that you bought from our store, the one that Mrs. Evelyn wanted to return, has reappeared. It is currently at Turtle Bay jewelery store, someone is trying to sell it.''

He didn't have time to catch a breather. An invisible hand tightened around his heart as he tried to inhale. It felt like the air was filled with water. His Mother had warned him about this. Even Bart tried to prepare him, though it had been with offhand insults. And he had always been blocking them out, a part of him grappling for the flicker of doubt, refusing to believe Blair was a money-grabbing monster everyone believed her to be.

A deep part of him, a part which nobody had access to, had always rejected the idea of Blair's betrayal, toying with his emotions and pulling him to her like waves to the shore. It didn't put her on a pedestal, but she was proclaimed innocent of every crime he accused her of. And now, that part of him had fallen into a deathly silence. With evidence in hand, there would be no room for doubt. What excuse could he give her now?

The culprit, the predator would be caught in action and Chuck knew the part of him would as a result.

Because when his eyes see Blair trying to sell the ring, a token of his love for her, there would be no part of him still believing he was anything worth loving. It would be proof that Chuck Bass was never and never would be anything but Heir, a walking bag of money. His dreams of loving someone and being loved in return would shatter. Everything would be a lie; his emotions, their memories, their supposed love.

''Text me the address,'' He muttered. ''Have Bl- have the person detained. I'll be there as soon as possible.''

''Of course, Sir.''

Half an hour later, he was sitting in a parked limo, his knee nervously bouncing up and down. Jittery apprehension piled up into anticipation of something inevitable, into something that would potentially emotionally ruin him forever. Ruin them forever. Was he ready to let go of that lie? Was he ready to face her, to face the truth?

''Mr. Bass,'' Arthur worriedly glanced at his face in the rear-view mirror. ''Are you well?''

He had been in the stationary limo for ten minutes already. Chuck couldn't speak. He simply tightly nodded before opening the doors and stepping out on the busy street of Turtle Bay. It was late afternoon and the sun was setting behind buildings in the distance, casting his color drained face in an orange glow. His feet crossed the small distance and warm air hit him as he entered the store.

A lean woman's figure hunched over the glass-case display, dazzling eyes admiring the sapphires and emeralds, rubies and opals. His stomach twisted into knots at the hungry way she caressed the glittering diamonds, spreading sick feeling up to his throat. A couple of store salesmen that called into Tiffany's were behind the counter, whispering among themselves. They finally spotted him and they broke apart, the familiar sign of submission in their postures.

Chuck only had eyes for the woman in the store. She hummed to herself in delight, still deluded by the lie salesmen told her. She tried on several different flashy rings, believing the salesmen were simply waiting for a man to come and bring the cash from the bank since the sum was so big.

But instead, Chuck came to snatch off the mask from Blair's face, to reveal the monster that hid underneath.

With trembling hands, he grabbed her by the shoulders and she turned around.

Only, it wasn't Blair.

And his heart marveled at the fact. He exhaled a long breath as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He knew she was Dan's fiancé. He had seen her with him. He had seen her sneaking around the building, trying to eavesdrop on his conversation with other people. He had seen her going through the mail of residents and oftentimes stealing a magazine or two.

''This is the lady that tried to sell your ring.'' A salesman came up, his expression triumphant. Chuck didn't think there was anything triumphant in this.

''I -,'' Jessica backed away from jewelery as if burned, her slanted eyes now filled with panic as she saw him. A flash of recognition alighted her expression. Her anxious gaze kept darting to doors. She looked like a trapped feral animal, clawing for an escape. ''I did it for the debt, I swear - Um - I'm Dan's future wife - I'm pregnant -'' Her eyes alighted at the sudden thought. ''I did it for the baby!''

Chuck unlocked his phone as the woman pleaded for help, begging him not to call the police, shedding crocodile tears he had known too well. Countless women that he slept with in past often used it to get what they wanted - expensive gifts, fancy dinners, a day longer by his side. He ignored her wailing, dialing a number he knew by heart.

''Come to Turtle Bay now. I'll text you the address.''

There seemed to be a protest on the other end of the line and he hung up, but not before fiercely adding ''Now.''

As soon as she stepped into the flashy jewelery store, Blair knew what was going on. Her instinct had been right.

''You idiot,'' She grit through her teeth, lunging after her with clawed hands. ''You moron! What have you done?!''

Chuck was already there by her side, pulling her back, pulling her away as Jessica wailed, ''I did it for the baby! I did it to pay off the debt!''

Blair would have laughed at her blatant lies because Dan's fiancé was someone who didn't care about anyone but herself, materialistic as much as her poor idle life would let her be. But the girl took something priceless away from her, hid it for weeks as she suffered in silence and at the end wanted to sell the ring, lying to everyone about its whereabouts and assuredly meant to take the money for herself.

''You will report her to the police!'' Blair snapped furiously, caged in his embrace. ''You will sue her!''

''Calm down, Blair.'' He whispered in her ear. ''Get in the limo.''

''But, Chuck,'' She wanted to protest, but one sharp glance from him and Blair found herself walking away, pulling Jessica by her elbow. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw salesmen pretending to be busy, pretending not to be drinking in the situation, as Chuck walked towards them, pulling a load of bills from his pocket, probably meant to buy their silence.

''Blair, I swear I did it for the baby!'' Jessica continued as they went out on the street. She shook herself off and raised her chin high. ''Look, you won't do well either if Bob and Dan find out how pricey that ring actually was.''

You won't do well when they find out Chuck Bass got you a ring, her eyes said.

''Are you threatening me?'' Blair snarled, raising a hand to strike the foul the creature, when someone grabbed her wrist.

''Calm down,'' Chuck's steady, collected voice repeated this time more firmly, lowering her hand down.

''You,'' He directed a glare towards Jessica. ''Stay put.''

And surprisingly enough, the girl did so, pulling her head back in shoulders. Sea of the bay turned from orange to dark blue, waves gaining speed and momentum. Chuck clenched his jaw and stared at the blue horizon in growing darkness, lost in thought.

''I'm sorry,'' He said after some time, his expression gloomy as if whatever he had to say took a vast physical effort to utter. The breaking of waves could be heard, the song of seagulls slowly dying out. ''I thought I'd find you here. I thought it would be you there.''

Blair whipped her head towards him, the familiar anger and resentment adding to the fury Jessica just caused. She couldn't help but feel insulted, sick and tired of fighting against a relentless current, against windmills that blew her away with each strike.

''What are you apologizing for?'' She snarkily replied. ''I used you to gain fame. I stole Georgina's life. I'm having an affair with Edward, and to top it all off, I sold the ring. What now?''

''You never wore that ring,'' He ran his fingers through hair in frustration, looking down on her.

The fact that she had never worn the single item that was supposed to symbolize their love as if it meant nothing to her, bothered him to the point that he sometimes wished he had never bought the damned ring. Perhaps then he wouldn't feel like all of his emotions were being taken for granted, used, abused and returned to him like discarded waste.

''I wanted to wait until I deserved to wear it,'' Her voice was controlled, but she pushed her fingers further into the pockets, her hands trembling. Was it so wrong to not to want to flaunt the token of someone else's affection, not until she earned the privilege of being able to call herself his, truly his? Her lies prevented that from happening and now that they were out in the open, Chuck rejected her. The thought of his accusations made her bitter. ''I never did deserve it. And it appears I never will.''

Her gaze flicked back at the sea, unable to see his reaction, unable to stomach whether he found the idea satisfying.

''Is that so?'' He enunciated every word in a low voice. Chuck took the ring out of the pocket. He twisted the ruby ring several times in his hand before he angrily flicked it out into the sea, throwing the precious gem into the dark, hungry waves.

''No!'' Jessica screamed in horror, pushing her way between them to lean over the bay rail, reaching for the lost ruby. The devastation on her face was almost humorous, whereas Blair just stared in utter shock. Had he just thrown tens of thousands of dollars into the sea? Had he just thrown away something that was supposed to symbolize their love?

Heart in her throat, Blair turned around to find him, but he was stepping into the limo and driving away.

''Great,'' Jessica spat, furiously pulling a handbag over her shoulder. ''Just great! Look what you did!''

Blair stared at the culprit baffled, fingers itching to curl around her throat. ''Just wait until we get home, you'll be out on the street in a second.''

Dan's fiancé laughed, a loud belly laugh, with a menacing note to it. ''You think I don't know what's going around there? Mother and daughter setting a trap for young billionaire. Does Dan know what you're doing?'' Her eyes slanted as she took a step closer, her strong perfume poisoning the salty air. ''Or would you like me to tell him?''

Blair's heart was hammering at the thought of Dan or Bob finding out she had any connections to Chuck. They wouldn't send her back to the village, they would kill her. And this insufferable girl was capable of doing that with a single sentence.

''What if I told Dan what you're doing with that boy upstairs?''

''You stupid-''

''Listen to me!'' Barked Jessica. ''From now on, you won't open your mouth back at home. You'll be an obedient little puppy or I'll tell Dan everything! What do you think him and your dad will do to you when they find out that ring was real? ''

''There's reason to pretend anymore,'' Jessica went on, grinning. ''We all know each other now. Let's drop the act, shall we?''

With that, she winked and walked away, whistling to herself a merry tune and Blair couldn't help but feel like she'd been somehow tricked and cast into a wolf den.

It took Chuck only a couple of days to break his suspension and it was done in proper Bass fashion. It was the day after the Turtle Bay fiasco, the classroom was nearly full, students awaiting a professor to start a class. Blair studied the untouched Business Strategy textbook when someone burst into the room.

Her eyes locked with him. A chill that went down her spine couldn't be held back, there was something ardent in his gaze, a burning intensity that only she could feel, something that made hairs on her neck stand up. A fraction of the Chuck she once knew flashed before her eyes.

Her heart raced as she remembered when he threw away the ring, as he hurt her, as he made it obvious he didn't care about them anymore and left her alone with that she-wolf. For at least today, she wanted him to hurt too.

''Blair,'' He was almost breathless but glorious in a handsome grey suit and burgundy bow-tie, his hair neatly combed and parted. There was something sexy in the urgency of his husky voice, something attractive in the way his eyes demanded hers. It strangely felt like the old times. ''We need to talk.''

She snapped out of the pleasurable daze and looked around at her fellow students, all straining their ears and awaiting her reply. They thought this was a show. They thought this was something to be made fun of. She quickly gathered her things, ready to flee, not wanting to give them any satisfaction in it. This could wait until after classes.

''Blair,'' He hovered above her table, eyes pleading and urgent. ''Please.''

Chuck Bass never begged and part of her wondered what did he have to talk about?

Thought pushed aside, she quickly whispered, not wanting to make a scene; ''I don't want to talk.''

''Blair-''

''I said I don't want to talk!'' She burst out loud, hoping the anger in her voice would make him go away when doors of the classroom opened and new professor walked in. If the ceiling fell on their heads and bricks knocked them about, they couldn't suffer greater shock. It was as if some higher being pulled an ace out of the sleeve and left them with an unsolvable puzzle.

''Mr. Bass,'' Edward Morelli, holding a Business Strategy textbook, approached them with measured steps.

She stared at her ex- boss, dressed in serious business clothes so unlike his casual yacht outfit, trying to connect the dots, trying to make sense of it all.

He appeared serene, but Blair knew it was for the show. She recognized the way his electric blue eyes flashed lightning. ''I believe you're not a sophomore. Get out of my class, please.''

It took Chuck some time to break out of the shocked revelry. He glanced at Blair and back at him in perplexity. ''What the hell are you talking about?'' His voice was quiet but threatening enough.

''Chuck,'' She warned, squeezing his elbow, sensing the rising sinister waves in him. ''Don't. You've already been suspended.''

''Blair,'' Ed suddenly berated without looking at her. ''Stay out of this.''

Chuck looked between them with a confused expression, as if not believing his eyes, as if only waking up and finding himself in this situation - wondering how exactly had he come here? He shouldered past Ed and went out of the room, pulling fingers through hair.

''Chuck!'' She couldn't go but after him, leaving the class and Ed behind, knowing Chuck would take this the wrong way. ''I swear I didn't know about this.''

''And I don't know how I let this happen,'' He snarled, frustration visible on every line of his face. ''How is it that every time I try to start over with you, something happens. Every time I think I'm beginning to understand-,'' His voice trembled and Chuck looked away, clenching jaw. ''Every time I try to get closer to you, something happens that pulls you away.''

Something rooted her to the spot, some invisible hand held her there as she stared at him, processing his words. Like sun that peaked at dawn, but decided to go back to hide behind the hills, leaving the land in the darkness of the night. Like a flame in the cold winter that burst out for a second and died out. That was how she felt.

She barely opened her mouth, but once again, he was already gone, leaving her alone.

Blair didn't have any choice but to go back to class. There were questions that needed to be asked and answers that had to be given. She got in in the middle of the introductory lesson and quietly sat down in the back row, murderously staring at Ed throughout the whole hour. Only when the lesson was complete, only when every student filed out of the room, did she get up from the chair and approach her new professor with short angry strides.

''Can we talk?'' She asked without beating around the bush, already fed up with the day and with everything that had happened so far.

''Of course," He nodded, gesturing her to sit.

''Can we talk honestly?'' Blair said more firmly, deciding to stand.

This made Ed pause. He slowly put the papers back in the briefcase and met her demanding eyes, giving her full attention.

''Why are you here?'' She insisted, palms pressed on the table.

It took him some time before he answered, as if he was choosing a right thing to reply. ''Do you really want me to be honest?''

She could feel her stomach twisting into knots, that uncomfortable trepidation settling in her chest. Blair nodded and yet secretly knew, that whatever answer she was about to receive, would be something that will change the ways of the game. Something that would alter their friendship. Something that would change their lives. For good or for bad, nobody could tell.

''I'm here because of you.''