...Chapter Seven...
...The Biggest Secret of All...

Rayanna stood there in shock, staring intently at the little boy, as she started thinking about that fight between her and Haley, and trying to piece things together.

"No..." Rayanna was shaking her head. "No..." She looked over at Nate with her eyes watery and saw a guilty look on his face. "Please... tell me that he couldn't possibly be yours." Nate opened his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. As tears were rolling down her cheeks, she giggled a little. "So, that was the secret between you two?" she looked at Nate. "You slept with my sister?"

"Ray..." Nate spoke for the first time, since they walked in. "Look." he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Rayanna looked at Nate incredulously. "But, it only happened once."

"Yeah, Genius... one time is all it takes, believe me." she shook her head, then looked at Nate. "Did you know, that you had a son?" Nate looked at the ground and she scoffed. "I guess that answers my question. Why did you keep it from me?"

"I didn't want you to find out that me and Haley slept together. I didn't even think I'd see her again."

"So... that makes it okay?"

"No. I know it was wrong."

"And yet, you still did it."

Nate took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ray. It won't happen again."

"You're right." she nodded.

"Ray..." Nate started, but got cut off by Rayanna raising her hand.

"No.. no. It's not going to happen again, because I won't be around to let it happen." then Rayanna went into her room and packed some clothes, shoes, and her laptop. She went into Natalie's room and packed clothes, shoes, and anything else Natalie would need and walked back out, to the elevator.

Nate saw the suitcases. "Ray... what are you doing?"

"It's over. You two asshole's deserve each other." She pressed the button and as it opened, she looked over at Nate. "Stay the hell away from me... and stay the hell away from MY daughter." then she got in and pressed the 'L' button for the lobby.

As the doors closed, she crouched into the corner and started crying. She couldn't believe that Nate would ever cheat on her. When the elevator stopped, she stood up, and the doors opened. She heard a gasp, so she looked up with the tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Ray?"

"Chuck..." she choked out, but collapsed in his arms.

As he was holding her, he noticed luggage by Rayanna's feet. "Come on." he said, trying to hold her with one arm and help carry her stuff in the other. He put her in his limo, then put her stuff in the trunk, then got in. "Go to my other hotel in Brooklyn, Marvin."

His limo driver nodded. "As you wish, Mr. Bass." then he rolled up the glass window, and drove off.

Chuck turned his attention to Rayanna, who was crying on his chest. "What happened, Ray?"

"He lied to me, they both lied to me."

"Who?"

She sat up to look at Chuck. "She had his baby and I guess he knew about it the whole time."

"Who, Ray?" she took a deep breath to calm down a little, then she giggled. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that... I should have known and I knew she had a thing for him, but I was too blind to see it."

Chuck shook his head. "I'm confused."

She looked at him again. "We got home and Haley was there. She had a little boy in her arms. He looked like he could be two, maybe. He had light brown hair and blue eyes, and his name is." Rayanna took a deep breath. "Jake Ryan Archibald." Chuck's jaw dropped. "A while ago, me and Haley got into a fight over Nate. They were keeping some secret from me. I never found out what it was, because my grandparents took Haley to California, and I just... let it go."

"So... Nate cheated on you with your sister and he has a son?"

"Yeah."

"I want you to know... if me and you ever had a chance to be together, I would never... ever do anything like that to hurt you."

She smiled. "I know."

Chuck moved Rayanna's hair behind her ear. "What about Natalie?"

"She's... She's."

"My daughter."

Rayanna nodded. "How could you tell?"

"Well, the fact that she looks exactly like me, kinda gave it away."

"I swear, I was going to tell you about her, but Blair told me that you were going to marry Georgina, and I wasn't ready to drop that bomb yet."

The limo stopped and Marvin opened the door. Before Chuck got out, he turned to Rayanna. "The reason why I'm getting married to Georgina... is because, I can't have you." then he got out. "Marvin, could you bring Miss Malone's things to my room."

"Yes, sir." he nodded.

A few minutes later, Rayanna followed Chuck into the building and went into the elevator. The doors opened, then Rayanna walked over to the couch and pulled out her phone and called Blair, while Marvin brought her things into the livingroom.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Blair... can you keep Natalie and I'll pick her up in the tomorrow?"

"Sure... we are having a blast and Jack is being so good with her."

"Well, since Chuck knows that she's his daughter, you can tell Jack."

"Okay, good. Because he kept asking me why she looks like him."

Rayanna laughed. "Okay. Do me a favor... it's a long story and I'll explain later, but do not let Nate try and take Natalie."

"Sure... Is it serious?"

"Very."

"Okay, Mama... I won't let him anywhere near her and once I tell Jack that she is his niece, I know he'll keep her away from Nate too."

"Thank you, Blair."

"No problem, Ray... bye."

"Bye." then Rayanna turned off her phone.

A few minutes later, Chuck sat down next her. "Here."

She took the glass. "Thanks."

"Alcohol helps." he said, taking a sip of his.

She drank all of it. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you about Natalie. I was terrified, that you wouldn't love me the same way, I thought you loved Blair."

"You thought... I loved Blair?" Rayanna shrugged her shoulders. "I've always loved you. It was never Blair. It's always been you, but I hid my feelings because Nate was in love with you too."

She nodded. "That's what Blair told me."

"I thought I was being the good best friend. I swallowed my pride and let him have the girl." he rubbed his thumb on her cheek. "My girl." as Chuck was leaning in to kiss Rayanna, his phone rang. He groaned, then pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Hey... Chuck."

"Hello, Nathaniel... what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Have you seen Ray? I've tried calling her and she's not answering her phone and nobody has seen her."

"So, you called me?"

"You were my last hope."

"Well, since you put it that way." Chuck paused to look at Rayanna. "I haven't seen her."

"Damn it." Nate paused. "If you do see her, can you tell her that I need to talk to her."

"Sure."

"Thanks, Man."

"Bye- Bye." then Chuck hung up his phone and looked over at Rayanna. "Hey, Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"Nate's looking for you and he needs to talk to you."

"Well... I don't want to talk to him."

"I kinda figured that." he paused. "So... tell me about Natalie."

"Well, she's everything like you and more."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. When Nate picked her up from her last day of preschool, she told me... during nap time when the teacher wasn't looking she put paint in this little girls' shoe, because the little girl, pulled Natalie's hair." Chuck started laughing. "She's really smart for her age. There's been a few times that I gotten called in for... it was like a parent teachers meeting." Chuck nodded. "Well, when Natalie would get into trouble, she would try to negotiate and sweet talk her way out if it."

Chuck started laughing again. "Wow."

"Yep... she's definitely a Bass."

"That's my girl." Chuck smiled. "So, what qualities did she get from you?"

"I think all she got from me... is my stubbornness, but everything else is from you."

"Oh." Chuck nodded.

"Well... I'm going to get some sleep." she stood up.

"The room is the last door on the right."

"Thank you, Chuck."

"Your welcome." he smiled at her, then she walked into the room.

Chuck sat there for a minute, finishing his drink. Then he got up to lock everything up completely and turned off all the lights. He walked into the room, which was his, and locked the door behind him.

Rayanna came out of his bathroom, only wearing one of his long sleeved, buttoned up shirts. As he walked up to her and before she could say anything, he started kissing her. Chuck showed Rayanna how much he loved her, until he could no longer.