Sorry for the delay! This week has been totally hectic! Calculus and Physical Geography are kicking my butt! lol
I'm housesitting this weekend for a family friend, so hopefully I'll have lots of time to get some writing done.
As always, let me know what you think! I love to get your feedback and suggestions! And of course I want to give a big thank you to my beta, who is totally amazing!
This chapter's title comes from Snow Patrol's "It's Beginning to Get to Me."
"It's Beginning to Get to Me" - Chapter 3
"Honestly, there's four tables of food out in the living room, but you just have to have ice cream." I grumbled, elbow deep in Mrs. Bass's freezer, digging around for the dessert that my pregnant best friend just had to have.
"Well, none of those tables have mint chocolate chip! Whoever decided that ice cream wasn't appropriate to serve after a funeral, anyway? I think it's probably the most comforting food of all." Serena declared, as she leaned against the counter, rubbing her growing belly.
"Honestly, S, the only ice cream I see in here is vanilla. Can't you just eat some of that?" I asked, showing her the carton I'd found.
"But mint chocolate chip was Bart's favorite! I know he had to have some in there!" She pushed me aside and started pulling containers out of the cool freezer.
"Yes! See, I told you!" She smiled, popping the top of the container off and shoveling a big scoop into her mouth.
"Want some?" Serena asked between spoonfuls.
"No, I'm good," I told her, laughing lightly because it looked like she wouldn't need any help finishing it off.
I got lost in my own thoughts, and when I looked up at Serena, she was studying me closely with her baby blue eyes.
"B, are you okay?" Serena asked eyeing me cautiously.
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"You know exactly what I mean," She whispered, glancing in the direction of the living room nervously, making sure no one could hear our conversation.
"S, we agreed never to talk about that again," I whispered back angrily.
"I know, but he's here now, for good… and I know that's got to be killing you." She rubbed my arm gently.
"It's not like I haven't seen him since then," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"B, you saw him for a total of 5 minutes at my wedding, and that was nearly four years ago. You didn't even speak!" She insisted.
"We had nothing to talk about! Your evil step-sibling has no effect on me!" I declared.
"But…" Serena protested.
"But nothing! I'm a happily married woman!" I snapped back, tossing my hair over my shoulder.
I instantly regretted the last part of my outburst. Serena was the only one who knew that Nate and I were far from perfect. It's not that we fought… in fact, we rarely ever did.
Nate had worked on Wall Street for a couple of years after we graduated from Yale, but he always dreamed of a career in politics. He started out running for City Council and quickly climbed up the political ranks winning a seat in the New York House of Representatives. He was becoming one of the most popular figures in New York politics. After all, Nate Archibald was the total package. He had good looks, a picture perfect young family, charisma, and an Upper East Side upbringing. Nate's political triumphs meant that he was out of town so often that we didn't have time to fight.
Serena started to say something but thankfully, she held back.
"We should probably head back in there. Your mom's probably wondering where we are," I told her, wanting to avoid any more discussion of my decade-old love affair.
We weaved our way through the crowd of New York society members that had come to pay their respects. I spotted Dan, who looked completely miserable to be chatting with Kati and her husband. Dan and I weren't exactly friends; I still didn't think he was good enough for Serena. But he was her husband, so I'd grown to tolerate him. I hadn't even teased him about his Cabbage Patch doll since we'd graduated from college.
"We should probably go rescue your husband, it looks like Kati is boring him to tears," I told her.
"I'm just going to go check on my mom, but I'll be there in a minute," She replied, before waddling over to her mother.
I made my way over to Dan, who was obviously tired of hearing how beautiful Kati's summer home in Tuscany was. I greeted her warmly; we chatted for a few minutes before I pointed out some of our old friends from Constance, and she left, dragging her husband with her.
"Thanks for saving me from that insufferable woman. I swear if I had to hear one more thing about the renovations to their villa I would've lost it," Dan sighed, shaking his head.
"Anytime," I replied, scanning the room nervously for a certain Bass heir. I'd managed to avoid him all day, but I knew that wouldn't last much longer.
"Wow! You didn't even call me Brooklyn! Are you feeling alright?" He asked, half-joking.
"I feel just fine, thank-you. I was just being nice," I told him.
"Nice? Blair, I've known you for ten years… and you've never really been nice to me." He chuckled, shaking his head.
"I am so nice to you! Well… I'd at least say I've improved through the years!" I exclaimed.
"Alright, I'll give you that, you've definitely improved." He laughed.
"What's this? The Queen of the Upper East Side and my dear brother in law playing nice?" Every muscle in my body tensed at the sound of that deep, all too familiar voice. I spun around quickly and came face to face with a smirking Chuck Bass. It'd been ten years and he still looked like the seventeen year old I last saw on the cotillion dance floor. He looked older, yes, but still the same. Even the pompous way he stood and held his glass hadn't changed in nearly a decade. I looked into his dark brown eyes, and my heart raced.
"Bass," I greeted curtly, trying to avoid looking him directly in the eyes again.
"Waldorf," He replied, licking his lips slowly. I couldn't help but glance at them.
"Waldorf-Archibald," I quickly corrected him.
He laughed lightly. "Old habits die hard," he explained.
We stood there in silence for a few moments, my glare matching his smirk. Dan must have sensed the tension between the two of us, because he suddenly decided it was a good time to go check on the children upstairs, even though, he knew they were totally fine with Dorota watching after them. I rescued him, so why couldn't he stay and save me from this awkward situation? I gave Humphrey one of my signature sneers as he walked away.
"I see the years haven't effected your ability to clear a room." I glared at Chuck.
"And I see the years haven't effected your social niceties." He glared back.
"But I must say, B," he took a deep breath and looked me up and down, "time has been good to you. You're still as stunning as ever."
My mouth gaped open as he stood before me, his eyes roaming over my body. For the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words. I was panicking, trying to come up with some sort of witty comeback, when I heard a loud sob and felt something grab on to my leg tightly.
"Mommy!" Bella cried. I lifted her into my arms.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I rubbed her back as she clutched to me tightly.
"Drew pushed me! And he hurt my arm!" She wailed and pointed out the small bruise now forming on her little arm.
"I'm so sorry Mrs. Blair! She just took off looking for you!" Dorota explained breathlessly, making her way towards me.
"It's okay, Dorota," I told my maid, as I straightened my little girl's black satin bow headband and combed my fingers through her blonde curls.
I glanced up to see Chuck closely watching me as I held Bella, and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"But Daddy! I only pushed her because she took my fire truck!" My godson exclaimed, as Dan made his way towards me, his son in his arms. Drew was like a mini male version of his mother. He had her golden locks and warm skin-tone. The only hint of Humphrey were his golden brown eyes. Serena and I joked that our children would make the perfect, golden, Upper East Side power couple one day.
"Andrew Bartholomew Humphrey! You are never ever to hurt girls, no matter what!" Serena scolded stomping over towards her son and husband.
"Bella, did you take his toy?" I asked her.
"I was only borrowing it!" She huffed.
"Honey, you can't just take someone else's toy without asking. You need to tell him you're sorry." I lectured, tucking some of her blonde locks behind her ears.
"I'm sorry, Drew," Bella apologized, still pouting.
"I'm sorry too, Bella," Drew replied after some encouragement from his father.
I hadn't even noticed that Nate had joined us until Bella begged him to kiss her boo-boo.
He placed a light kiss on her arm, "All better, sweetheart."
I looked up, expecting to see Chuck waiting for this little dispute to end. Instead, I saw him quickly retreating from the Bass penthouse. Watching him walk away, I felt old wounds reopening and tears form in my eyes. Ten years later, that Mother Chucker still had an effect on me.
________________________________________________
I peered out the window next to the booth Nate and I occupied in the Palace dining room. He was going on and on about some education legislation he was working on as we sipped drinks. It had been a week since my father's funeral, a week since I'd seen Blair.
Time seemed to stand still where Blair Waldorf, or rather Blair Waldorf-Archibald, was concerned. I hadn't lied when I told her she was as stunning as ever, in fact the years only seemed to make her more beautiful. When we had stood in the living room and traded insults back and forth, it was like things had never changed. For a moment, we were still the same people we had been at seventeen. But when her little girl had cried for her mother and clung to her so tightly, I realized just how much time had passed.
"I must be boring you to tears with all my talk of the importance of early childhood education." Nate sighed and took a sip of his drink.
"Not at all, I'm glad to see you've found you're calling," I replied.
"So tell me about you, man. What in the world have you been up to all these years?" He asked.
"Nate, you know me, I don't change. My life is a mix of work, scotch, and beautiful women." I grinned.
"You really haven't found someone you'd like to settle down with?" He questioned.
I nearly spit out my drink, "I'm still not the settling down type, Nate."
He took a deep breath and I knew exactly what was coming next. "I know I've asked you before, but you've never really given me a straight answer. What the hell happened, man? You just took off!" He asked, a mix of anger and concern.
"I know, I'm sorry about all that. Honestly, I don't even understand what came over me. I just had to get away." I shook my head.
He sighed, "Chuck, were you in some kind of trouble?"
"No, well… sort of. Nothing of the criminal nature anyway," I answered.
"Chuck… was it about a girl?" He asked, brushing his sandy hair out of his eyes.
I was astounded at Nate's perceptiveness, "Well… yes, it was about a girl."
"She must have really been something, if she sent you running to another country." He smiled lightly.
"She was… amazing, but she was in love with someone else." I sighed, the last thing I wanted to do was reminisce about Blair with the man she married.
"Love? Chuck, were you in love with this girl?" He seemed completely shocked.
I'd never really admitted to anyone what I felt for Blair. When I look back on it, I guess I'd always been drawn to her, even when we were just kids. But I couldn't bring myself to say the words, not to him, even though he didn't know the girl in question was his wife. So I just nodded lamely instead.
"So, who was it, man? Did I know her?" He grinned, eager for my answer.
"No, you didn't know her." I only half-lied. He knew the girl yes, but he didn't know her the way that I did. Blair was different around me, she always had been. She didn't make herself out to be innocent or sweet; she let herself be who she truly was.
Nate's phone buzzed and he spared a glance down at the screen. He frowned as he squinted to read the text message.
"I've got to take care of something at the office," He explained.
"Go ahead, man. I don't think I'll have a problem finding company to entertain me." I told him, gesturing to the redhead that was sipping cosmopolitans at the bar.
Nate chuckled, "Ahhh… the life of a bachelor."
He patted me on the shoulder and stood up to leave, "Don't forget, we're all meeting for dinner at Serena's tomorrow night."
"I'll be there," I told him as I got out of my seat to make my way to the bar.
This was going to be one interesting dinner party.