Picking up where the last chapter left off :)

The whole walk home, I'm in a daze. Dan Humphrey's hand is laced through mine and I can still feel the ghost of his kiss across my lips. When we arrive at my door, he kisses me again and tells me he'll see me tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

I already wish it was morning.

I lean against the door once I'm inside, trying to catch my mind up to my heart. As my eyes flutter shut, I hear Serena's voice. "You wore the dress! I bet he loved it,"

My eyes flicker back open in time to see her toss the magazine she was reading aside and whirl around on the couch to face me. She misreads the hesitation on my face and amends her statement. "In a very platonic way, of course. So how was it?"

I come sit down on the couch beside her and clutch a pillow to my chest. "I think you were right." I feel a coy smile come to my lips. "I think, perhaps we're spending time together for more than just the article…"

"B!" Serena's blue eyes light up again and she nudges me. "Tell me everything!"

"We kissed," I say without preamble, looking away shyly. "I kissed him."

"You did?" Serena scoots closer and squeezes my arm. "Yay! And?"

"He kissed me back," I say as though it's a question. "It was… it was really something."

"Oh my god," Serena puts her arm around me. "I knew he liked you! It was so obvious from that day at Magnolia. I just knew it! Now what?"

"We're going to see the Degas exhibit at the MET tomorrow." I pretend to pick a piece of lint off the dress I borrowed, feeling a little self-conscious from all of her praise and excitement.

"Aw, B. This is just so perfect," Serena tips her head onto my shoulder. "Think of the story for the wedding. You were the-"

I cut in, not wanting her to finish that train of thought. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay, S? It's just a date. Besides, Dan hates marriage." I wrinkle my nose. "I probably shouldn't have told you that since he's covering your wedding but we both know how good he is at his job so oh well."

"Well," Serena smirks. "I'm sure you can change his mind about that."

For some reason, I find myself hoping she's right.

"So," I change the subject. "How about you? How's that pre-wedding bliss going?"

I see Serena's face darken but she shakes her head. "I don't want to ruin the mood and taint your excitement about Dan."

"What is it?" I frown, demanding an explanation.

"Well," Serena flips a pillow over in her lap, playing for time. "There's a bit of a problem, with the catering."

"Oh," I wave this off. "That's all? I thought you were going to say you're calling off the wedding or something."

"I…" She finally meets my eye. "I may have told Nate I was a vegetarian and now he's trying to find plant-based caterers. Then, he said that he realized that he should research where Magnolia Bakery sources their ingredients to see if it's ethical." She pauses. "My lie is sort of escalating."

I laugh, "Why would you tell him that?"

"As you know, he's a vegetarian for environmental reasons so I told him I was too." She covers her face with the pillow. "I might have also said that I volunteer every summer at an eco-farm in Columbia. Now he's saying we should delay our honeymoon so we can do that together. It's spiraling…"

"Oh god, S." I sigh, at a loss. "Why did you tell him you were some eco-enthusiast when you're not?"

"You said he was into that stuff! It was before we got engaged and I thought we were just dating and that eventually that would fade away and he'd get to know the real me but by then it wouldn't matter. Or that maybe I would really be into that stuff if I tried! But now we're getting married and I realized my fiance doesn't even really know me. And what if he gets to know the real me and decides he doesn't want to marry me anymore?"

"Serena, Serena," I exhale, trying to think of what to do. "Of course he still will. But I think you can't just bombard him with all that at once. Why don't you try going vegetarian? For real, then if you hate it, you tell him. If you decide it works for you, then maybe you can explain your white lie. As for the other stuff, I mean I sincerely doubt you want to be knee-deep in soil on your honeymoon so I think you have to fess up."

"Ugh," She groans, "What a mess I made."

I squeeze her hand. "It'll work out, S."

The sky is filled with clouds yet even the hazy day can't dampen my mood. Rain could start pouring down right now and I don't think I'd even bat an eye at the damage inflicted upon my suede Manolos.

Because of this:

My hand in Dan's, our arms brushing, our steps in sync, an intoxicating energy between us. One that only the early days of a new relationship could incite.

"Normally," Dan says as we descend the steps of the MET. "Frilly dresses and tutus are usually not my idea of art. But I think you have me convinced."

I lean into his shoulder a little more, so much so that my head tips onto his shoulder, "Really?" I look up at him hopefully.

"Yes," He smiles at me. "I think right now, you could convince me to go to a whole fashion exhibit and I wouldn't even protest once."

"In that case," I pretend to tug him in the direction of the Fashion Institute of Technology. As he chuckles, I amend. "Kidding, I'm too hungry for that."

"Yes, paninis await us."

"And Italian sodas." I add. "I think I'll get grapefruit,"

"Grapefruit?" He feigns horror. "That's a crime. Everyone knows blood orange is the best flavor."

"Fine," I smile, coyly. "Maybe you'll convince me."

Fifteen minutes later, as I sip my blood orange soda (he did convince me afterall) I fill Dan in on the latest with the wedding. "So, there's trouble in paradise… Nate apparently thinks Serena is a vegetable-loving hippie who lives on a commune." I quickly add. "This is off-the-record, by the way."

"Of course it is," Dan says in a way that implies that it being on-the-record hadn't even crossed his mine. "So why does he think that? I don't really know her, but I'm pretty sure that Prada bag she carries around wasn't made ethically."

"I guess she sort of implied she cares about the environment and it just kept tumbling into a bigger lie." I shake my head. "I don't know what she'll do. I told her to come clean, little by little. But definitely before the wedding,"

Dan nods, "That was good advice. I hope he understands. I want it to work out for the two of them."

"Me too," I say and realize I really mean it.

Maybe Georgina was right and my feelings for Dan finally erased my irrational infatuation with Nate. For the first time, I can say I'm genuinely rooting for him and Serena, and mean it. I smile and stretch my arm across the table so my hand can brush Dan's. Then I smirk, "Are you sure you aren't just saying that so you don't have to scrap your article?"

His expression darkens, this time I know I didn't imagine it. "Of course, not." He looks me steadily in the eye. "I care about them. I care about you."

The intensity of his words unleashes the fluttering of a million butterflies within me and I have to blink away the feeling before I can speak properly. "I care about you, too."

His fingers brush over the top of my hand and I forget all about my uneaten panini and half-drank Italian soda.

And all about that forlorn expression at the mention of his article.

It's the following day and the words on my computer screen are not forming coherent sentences. Instead, the blend together into one blurry blob. Because my mind is far from here, all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge, in fact.

"Oh no," A voice breaks my reverie. "I know that look."

I look up to see Georgina eying me warily. She continues, "The lovestruck look is back."

I cover my face with my hands. "No, it's not." When I remove my hands, I'm wearing a mask of indifference.

"Too late," Georgina sits on my desk. "I'm sure I already know who's responsible for that look but tell me anyways,"

So I do.

By the end of the story of my first date with Dan, although I'm not sure it would technically be the first date and more likely was a third or fourth, Georgina surprisingly doesn't look like she wants to regurgitate that almond milk latte she just drank.

"I'm happy for you," She says in a firm tone. "You deserve this, especially after all your bridesmaid-ing. Speaking of which," Her eyes flick towards Nate's office. "What was up with him this morning? Did the honeymoon phase end prematurely?"

I shake my head, "Serena finally told him." I say and know she understands. I had been texting with her about Serena's cascading lies to which Georgina replied with a link to a hemp-based burlap dress with the caption "Perfect present for the bridal shower?"

Georgina winces. "About time, but looks like he didn't take the news too well."

"He didn't," I frown. "He told Serena he needs to think about everything. I hope that's not bad news."

"But he's like so obnoxiously in love with her. You don't think he'll demand back the ring or anything do you?"

"I hope not," I shrug. "But knowing Nate, he'll forgive her in time. He's not really one to hold grudges. And in the meantime, Serena has been binge-watching all these documentaries about the environment."

"Oh my god," Georgina's mouth falls open. "So she might end up actually becoming a commune-dwelling hippie?"

"I guess," I smile. "I think it would be kind of cute, actually. They could have bamboo-onesie-wearing babies named Basil and Bluebell."

"Oh god," Georgina mimes shoving a finger down her throat. "What has dating Dan Humphrey done to you? Do you even hear yourself? You're becoming an optimist and we are firm cynics, remember?"

"I don't think cynicism was ever really my color," I tell her. "But don't worry, we'll turn you into an optimist in time. Maybe Dan has a friend for you, I'll ask him at dinner tonight."

Georgina scoffs and slides off my desk. "No, thank you."

I come home armed with Serendipity to-go because frozen hot chocolate cures everything. Serena instantly picks up a spoon and starts digging in. "On the bright side of a postponed wedding, I don't have to watch what I eat. So now I can eat this with zero guilt."

"S," I pat her and take a bite of my own dessert. "Nate will come around."

"Well, until he does, I'll be eating my feelings." She licks her spoon clean. "Thank you by the way. You always know how to cheer me up."

I smile, "That's what best friends are for. So are you converted into a tree hugger yet?"

"Not quite," She tilts her head. "But I do think I am going to start using a glass water bottle. Did you know that the amount of oil used to produce plastic water bottles could fuel 17 million cars for a year?"

"I can honestly say, I did not." I nudge her. "But I thought Brown was all hemp-loving hippies, why didn't they teach you this stuff there?"

"I don't know," She giggles. "I guess I was too busy learning about what was underneath the clothing of all those hippies rather than what was used to make it. But it's never too late to learn,"

"True," I smile, too happy to remind her that if she really wants to go full eco, she'll have to give up her Barneys habit. "Maybe you'll have that eco-wedding Nate dreamed of afterall,"

She sighs and leans her head back against the couch. "I hope so. I'd even return that 8,000 dollar wedding dress just for Nate."

By the end of the week, what once was my living room is filled with overflowing cardboard boxes.

"S?" I call as I arrive home on Friday night to what looks like a storage facility. "Going somewhere? And are you taking my stuff with you?" I ask as I pluck an Elizabeth and James dress that definitely belonged to me out of one of the boxes.

Serena emerges from the guest room with a roll of packing tape in hand. "Oh hey," She smiles as though this is a perfectly normal scene. "Just doing a little spring cleaning,"

"It's not spring," I say dully, traipsing over another box in an attempt to reach the hallway.

"I know, but it's never too early to get a headstart." She bends over and seals up a box. "I found this amazing women's shelter and I'm donating most of my wardrobe to it."

"Does Nate know?" I ask as I eye her now empty closet. "And do you think they really need your old lingerie?" I say holding up an Agent Provocateur bodysuit.

"Hey, just because someone is less fortunate doesn't mean they don't deserve to feel sexy too." Serena chides, pulling it from my grasp and putting the lacy piece back in the box. "But no, Nate doesn't know. I think it makes it less of a good deed if I'm only doing it to win him back."

"Right but," I shake my head, deciding not to give her a lecture on the sanitariness of used lingerie. Clearly, this is something she needs to do. "Well good luck with all this," I motion around. "I'm just picking up some clothes."

"Sleeping at Dan's again?" She asks with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, especially considering that my apartment is apparently under renovations. Just let me know when you're done with your 'cleaning' and I'll come back." I stuff a few outfits in my Paravel weekender bag.

"I will!" She calls cheerfully. "And in between 'rendezvous' with Dan, maybe you two can become enlightened too! Start with An Inconvenient Truth!"

"Will do," I lie, not bothering to tell her watching such a documentary is hardly sexy. I say a silent prayer that when I come home, my clothes and belongings will still be here. While I'm all for her eco reinvention, I'm not quite sure I'm on the same path and I'd like to have a wardrobe to come home to. I decide, perhaps I'll casually drop a mention of Serena's sudden charitable spirit to Nate on Monday in the office.

Even if she says it's not to win Nate back over, I know her better than that. And I know that her heart is in the right place. Maybe this whole lie will actually be for the best and she'll have changed. She never had much direction before so perhaps being set on a new path isn't the worst thing for her.

Maybe, it's what she needed all along.

As my cab pulls up in front of Dan's building, I think to myself, and maybe this is what I needed all along.

TBC...

BTW, I'm finding myself all for an eco reinvention of Serena so I hope you guys are too! I'll update again soon, and expect some more developments between both relationships in this story. And hey, maybe even Georgina will get a love interest by the end of the story!

Thank you for reading!