Author's Note: This chapter is a little short because it's a transition chapter.

Chapter 3: Not Enough

Serena closed the door and fell to the floor, her tears flowing freely. This was the moment she was waiting for and she let him go. She knew that she had made the right decision, but it still hurt. She lay in a heap for hours; her only comfort was her tears. Charlie came home and found her there.

"Serena, are you okay? What happened?

But Serena didn't say a word. All she could do was cry. It was like all the grief she had kept bottled inside had come flowing out. For months, she tried to be strong, to be stoic, but now when she got the one thing she wanted it all came pouring out.

Dan knew it was going to take every arsenal in his play book to convince Serena that he wasn't just settling and that what he felt for her was real. He'd never really gotten over her despite his thing with Blair. It's not that he didn't care for Blair, he did, but it just didn't compare to what he felt for Serena. She was always there. Whenever he thought he was over her, she'd find a way to inadvertently sneak back into his heart. He knew he had a lot of work ahead of him and no real guarantee of convincing her, so he started with the basics. Every girl loved romance and flowers. So, he ordered enough gerbera daisies to fill three rooms. He managed to exhaust his credit card, but it was well worth it.

Serena came home from class to find the entire apartment filled with her favorite flowers. She picked up a daisy and inhaled its gorgeous sent. She didn't even need to look at the card to know who sent it, instead she called the florist and had them all returned.

A week later, a delivery man arrived with a copy of her favorite book 'The Beautiful and the Damned.'

Serena texted him, 'Nice try, Just leave me alone.'

While she found his efforts sweet it wasn't enough to put her heart on the line again. Flowers and her favorite book were not going to make her take a risk like that. It was easier to be with someone like David who adored her and who could never break her heart than to take a chance on Dan again.

It had been three weeks and he'd managed to use every grand gesture he had up his sleeve, but he should have known that it wouldn't be enough. Maybe it really was too late.

How do you unbreak someone's heart?

He tried writing and nothing seemed to flow anymore. Words were simply clusters of sounds put together; lacking in any real meaning. Attending class was something he did out of routine rather any real desire to learn. Dan needed for her to forgive him, but now he was left with the knowledge that he had fucked things up beyond measure.

He wanted her friendship

Her love

He wanted her

Two weeks later, Nate found him surrounded in a maze of booze, stale coffee and video games. It looked as if he hadn't left his place for months.

"Dude this place is a fucking mess. You're a fucking mess."

"Doesn't matter," He said as he went back to playing DOOM.

Nate grabbed the PlayStation controller and threw it across the room. "Get up."

"You just ruined my record."

"Get up, Dan."

Dan simply lay back on the couch and threw a blanket over him. Nate knew he was being stubborn.

"Dude, you can't just bum around doing nothing for the rest of your life."

"Doesn't matter."

"I can't believe you're taking this break up so hard."

Dan looked at him quizzically. "Breakup? This isn't about Blair."

"It isn't?" Nate asked.

He pushed Dan's feet aside and sat next to him on the tattered couch, "Serena?"

"Serena."

"You fucked that up real good, man." Nate said matter-of-factly.

Dan simply sighed and took a swig from a half-empty bottle of tequila. "Oh man, drinking in the middle of the day?"

"She won't forgive me."

"Give her time," Nate said as he grabbed the bottle from Dan and took a swig.

Serena was painting her toe nails when Nate came over and sat down beside her. "Charlie isn't here."

"I'm not here for her."

She stopped for a minute and looked at him, "What's up?"

"He's a mess."

Serena didn't even need to ask who he was talking about. Her stomach did a little flip. It was part joy and part guilt for enjoying that she could cause him pain.

"Not my fault."

Nate looked at her and said, "Come on. We both know you're crazy about him. How much longer are you going to torture the guy?"

How could she explain what she felt? She couldn't put herself out there; she wouldn't. No one could hurt her like Dan could.

"I'm not torturing him. I don't want him out of default."

Nate started to laugh a deep throaty laugh. "Default? Serena you're nobody's default. He messed up, but any idiot could see that he's loved you this entire time."

Serena reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "You're sweet Nate and a very loyal friend."

"So you're going to talk to him?"

Serena simply shrugged and went back to doing her nails.