Chapter 6

February 2013

"A family dinner? Tomorrow night?" Serena sounded dubious.

"Just us, Bart, and Chuck," Lily explained. "Of course, I don't want to overwhelm him, but I want him to understand that we are all here to support him in his recovery."

"Okay," Serena agreed hesitantly, still unsure how Chuck might perceive a family dinner the night he's released from rehab. "Just make sure it's casual. If there's tension, he'll find a reason to leave."

Serena heard her mother exhale on the other end of the line. "He's staying with Bart and me for a bit while he continues out-patient therapy. The best thing for him right now is to know that he's surrounded by people who love him."

"I suppose you're right."

After she hung up the phone, Serena turned to Nate, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. None of them had had any contact with Chuck in over three months, per the rehabilitation center's policies. "Chuck comes home tomorrow," she said quietly.

"So I gathered," Nate took a seat across from her. "He's going to be okay, Serena."

"I know," she sighed, looking up at him through blue eyes shining with unshed tears, "It's just -"

"August scared you."

She nodded softly. "I'm worried that…" she trailed off. "Blair's been asking about him. I can barely talk to her because every conversation comes back to him. She thinks that she can fix whatever happened between them."

"Yeah," Nate said. "She's mentioned it to me, too. I hate lying to her."

"We're not really lying to her," Serena retorted defensively. "She thinks that Chuck is in rehab for alcoholism, and that's part of it. He asked us not to tell her about August, so we just didn't include that part."

"It feels like lying by omission."

"I know." Serena shrugged, her lower lip trembling from the weight of her fears. "But we have two friends who are bad for each other right now, who just hurt each other over and over, and I'm afraid…"

"Hey." He pulled her to his chest, and she burrowed her head against his shoulder as she let out a low sniffle.

"I'm afraid that next time will be too late. You heard what the doctor said: if we hadn't found him that night, he wouldn't have survived. Blair's hurting, but she'll live. Chuck, though…it's like he's walking on a tight rope over jagged rocks. He almost died in Paris, and again in that horrible car wreck, and then over the summer…It's like he's living on borrowed time. He won't be able to save himself, but if we can hold onto the safety net for a little longer, then maybe he stands a chance."

"Okay, you've lost me." Nate gently reached up to push her matted hair from her temple, smoothing his hands over her head in soothing strokes.

"The jagged rocks are Blair in this scenario. If he falters the tiniest bit, he'll be impaled right through the heart. I know that's not fair to put on her, but…"

"So we're holding the safety net?" Nate sat back in the seat as Serena lifted her head from his chest.

"Something like that."

Nate raked his hands across his face. "We can't separate Chuck and Blair; they're always going to find their way back to each other. And when they figure out that we've been scheming against them, we'll face their wrath. No good can come from this."

Serena shook her head. "No, we don't even have to do much. Chuck's already banned Blair from the Empire, and I'm sure I can talk Bart into issuing the same ban at the Palace. Chuck isn't likely to try and contact Blair right away, but Blair will be the one banging down his door to see him. We just need to cut off their ability to communicate."

"How can we possibly do that?" Nate asked incredulously. "You know if Blair sets her mind to something then there's no stopping her. She'll stalk him, wait for him on the streets, scheme her way into his office."

"It's not fool-proof, I know," Serena huffed in frustration. "But we have to do something. If she ambushes him, I don't think he'll listen to her, but she'll wear him down if she keeps texting and calling. He's going to be super vulnerable for a while, and I'm afraid Blair will derail whatever progress he's made."

"This isn't going to work," Nate tried to reason. "They'll figure it out."

She ignored his comment. "Is Chuck's phone here?"

Nate closed his eyes, knowing that Serena's mind was already made up. "I'm not sure, but I would imagine so since he wasn't allowed to take it to the center."

Before he'd even finished his answer, Serena was scurrying toward Chuck's bedroom, searching frantically through the drawer on his bedside table. She scrunched her nose in disgust as she pushed aside a box of condoms and lubricant until she finally pulled out an iPhone. "It's dead," she pouted. "Do you have a charger?"

Nate sighed and nodded. "In my room."

She sat on the bed, plugging in the device and impatiently waiting for it to power on.

"What do you plan to do?" Nate asked. "He's going to notice if you delete her number."

Serena watched the phone power on a few minutes later. "I'm going to block her number, so whenever she calls he won't get it. A blocked number can still leave messages and send texts, but they are never delivered to the recipient. She'll just think he's ignoring her the way he has been since summer."

"And if he tries to call her?"

"We'll change her number in his contact list. It'll probably be a while before he realizes it's wrong. We can get a burner phone that all the calls will go to."

Nate couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. "This is ridiculous. They'll never buy it."

"Maybe not, but at least it will keep them apart while Chuck's still vulnerable. I don't want him to get hurt again. He's been through so much."

"So has Blair," Nate said quietly.

"I know." Serena's face was solemn, but she busied herself with Chuck's phone, not bothering to respond further to Nate's reminder.

"This is going to come back to bite us in the ass one day."

XOXO

Present Day

Blair shifted impatiently in her seat, glancing toward the door ever couple of minutes. She smoothed her dress down her legs, crossing and uncrossing her legs nervously as she waited for Chuck and Caroline to arrive. Her wine glass had already been refilled twice, but the alcohol did little to calm her anxiety. For a moment, she considered canceling, sending a quick text detailing a particularly terrible bout of food poisoning, but she'd fought too hard for this meeting to back out now. It was a step toward normal, toward a life she'd once taken for granted. She couldn't be sure what would come of tonight's dinner, but it'd be her longest interaction with Chuck in two years.

After their encounter in the park a few summers back, she'd been certain that they'd found their way back to each other – just like she'd always known they would. He'd been so attentive and loving; everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. Neither one had been brave enough to give utterance to their emotions, but she felt it in every inch of her body. The way he spoke to her, the way he held her, every word, every touch was a silent love confession.

It didn't matter that he was moving to California or that Bart was sick; those were both unfortunate roadblocks to their happy ending, but, no matter how much time or distance was between them, she was more confident than ever that their paths would bring them back together. Forever would start the minute that he set foot back in New York.

The waiting had been the hardest part; the fact that he'd asked her to give him some space while he prepared for the move stung more than she would admit. She understood him, though; she knew that he needed to focus on Bass Industries and his relationship with Bart before he could commit to her. More than anything, she was proud of his maturity. He hadn't made her any promises, but she could see it in his eyes: he wanted everything she wanted. He wanted her and their future.

When Serena had suggested that they spend Christmas in Paris, just the two of them like old times, she'd jumped at the chance. It was a welcome distraction from her complicated entanglement with Chuck, and, more than that, she would finally have the opportunity to heal her relationship with Serena, which had never fully recovered from the damage caused by her ill-advised fling with Dan.

She arrived a few days before Serena and spent her time catching up with Harold and Roman. The day that Serena was set to arrive, Blair awoke early and scheduled an entire evening for the two of them, consisting of massages, movies, and desserts. She was determined to make their time together count and possibly persuade Serena to move back to New York. Countless hours had been spent mulling over Serena's roles and responsibilities at Hartman Anderson and carefully curating an immediate opening at Waldorf Designs that fit the same job description. Expecting that Serena would decline her offer, she prepared a counter argument, complete with a Venn Diagram and a PowerPoint presentation, on the ways that this time would be different than all of their previous failed attempts to work together.

Late that morning, she received a rather cryptic text from Serena: So sorry, can't make it after all. Family emergency.

Worried, Blair responded: What's wrong? Do you need me to come home?

Fear crept into her chest after an hour passed without a reply, so she tried to call, only to be greeted with Serena's bubbly voicemail. In a panic, she called Nate, feeling completely powerless to help her friend from across the ocean. On the fourth ring, he finally picked up and spoke the words that sent a boulder plummeting through her stomach: "Bart's dead, Blair. They didn't make it to Los Angeles in time for treatment."

Her lip trembled, her chin quaking under the memory of her last conversation with Chuck, the slight glimmer of hope reflecting in his voice when he talked about the doctor's reluctant optimism about Bart's case. "I -" she stuttered softly, unable to form coherent words. "I…Chuck…"

"Listen, Blair," Nate's voice was soft, filled with something that she couldn't identify. "I'll have to call you back after the funeral."

The funeral? She couldn't wrap her mind around the words he'd spoken. It seemed implausible. Bart had died? And they'd planned a funeral - all without her knowing? Her hands shook as she dialed Chuck's number, only to be sent directly to voicemail. Her voice quivered as tears rolled down her cheeks: "Chuck, I'm…I'm so sorry. I'm on my way, okay? I'll be there as soon as I can."

Without waiting for her father to return home, she threw her clothes haphazardly into a suitcase and headed directly for the airport. But it was too late; by the time she landed in New York, Chuck was in California, and he wasn't taking her calls.

The next day, anger surged through her when she finally managed to get Serena on the phone: "How could you not call me when Bart died?!"

Serena let out a low breath from the other end of the line. "I was a little busy taking care of my mom and brother, Blair. I'm sorry that I wasn't prompt enough for you."

"Don't do that," Blair screeched. "Don't act like I'm being irrational. You know I would've been there."

"I know you would've," Serena spoke softly, a note of regret in her voice. "But it might have been a good thing that you weren't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blair asked, a mixture of anger and despair knotting itself into a lump in her throat.

"Chuck's been in a great place since -"

"Since I've been out of his life," Blair finished, swallowing hard. "Got it."

"That's not what I mean," Serena tried to explain. "After what happened a few years ago, I think it's best if you just leave him be. Let him heal on his own."

"No," Blair shook her head even though Serena couldn't see her. "I can't let him think that I don't care. I have to be there for him. He needs me -"

"He doesn't need you to save him anymore, Blair," Serena sighed loudly from the other end of the receiver. "He's coping just fine. He has me and mom, and Nate. He's mourning in a healthy way, and he doesn't need you to complicate that for him. He's moved on; now you need to do the same."

Memory after memory of similar conversations between her and Nate played in her mind; reminders of all the unanswered phone calls and texts to Chuck for months following Bart's funeral lodged themselves in her throat. She had refused to give up, very nearly boarding a plane to Los Angeles to confront him, until Nate finally approached her with a confession that she couldn't have anticipated – a revelation that sent shockwaves through her, causing her to run to the nearest restroom to wretch up the few bites of her meal that she'd managed to eat.

"Blair," Nate prodded, gently but firmly, "You've got to let him go. Last time almost killed him."

That conversation took place in April, after four months of holding onto the hope of a future with the only man she'd ever truly loved. Her heart shattered into a million unrecognizable shards, and she finally saw the blame that rested on her shoulders. She knew logically that she had hurt him, but she was never able to fully understand the extent of the damage. When Nate told her that he had been suicidal after her reckless decision to abandon him and go to Rome with Dan all those years ago, she couldn't even begin to process those emotions.

Nate had eventually pushed his way into the women's restroom, locking the door behind him. He cradled her head between his hands, holding her hair back from her shoulders, while she heaved into the toilet until her body shook with tremors. Tears had blurred her vision, and she promised him weakly that she would do everything in her power to ensure Chuck's health and happiness, even if that meant sacrificing her own. From that moment forward, she stopped trying to push her way back into Chuck's life and let him go once and for all – the way he had for her years earlier.

A month later, she saw the article covering Chuck's first public outing with Caroline; she'd seen the picture of Chuck looking happier than he'd ever been – holding hands with the model and smiling at her as if she was the center of his world. They looked effortless, like the relationship was easy for them. The genuine smile formed on Chuck's lips had both broken Blair's heart and rejuvenated her spirit. Nothing in the world hurt more than seeing him happy with another woman – fulfilled in a way that she'd strived for but was never quite able to give to him, at least not for longer than a few months. She knew in that moment that Nate and Serena had been right; the most selfless thing she could do for Chuck was to give him space to move on and find happiness without her.

Now, as she sat in the back corner of the restaurant, waiting for her ex-lover and his fiancé, her pulse jumped around in her throat, sending waves of nausea through her. She took another sip from her water glass before motioning the waiter to refill her wine glass for a third time. He hesitated, a look of skepticism furrowing into his brows, but her expression warned him against the refusal forming on his tongue. Silently, he filled her glass and stepped away, shaking his head.

She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly, calling on the breathing exercises that her therapist had suggested. She felt her heart rate slow, and she was able to finally push the nerves out of her mind. Instead she focused on the business aspect of the meeting, compartmentalizing her feelings in a desperate effort to find some semblance of sanity.

When she opened her eyes, her breathing exercises and the excess wine all proved to be for naught. Her heart stopped beating, her breath hitched in her throat, and her hand still holding onto the stem of her glass trembled to the point that red wine sloshed over the edge of the glass to stain the white table cloth.

As Chuck and Caroline approached the table, Blair's eyes dropped to their interlocked hands and unworried expressions. Chuck whispered in his girlfriend's ear as he disentangled their fingers, placing his palm gently against the small of her back to guide her through the restaurant. She smiled sweetly, rolling her eyes playfully at whatever ridiculous thing he'd said.

Blair's heart restarted, stammering erratically against her chest, and she could no longer breathe, a sure sign that a panic attack was imminent. She stood abruptly, her legs bumping against the table and sending the wine glass clattering to the table, further staining the table cloth and her dress.

"Shit," she cursed through sniffles, hastily wiping at the spill on her skirt as the couple grew closer. They hadn't noticed her before, but, when Chuck's eyes finally connected with hers, the smile immediately fell from his face and he froze, the hand resting on Caroline's lower back stilling its gentle strokes.

Blair's cheeks burned hot, and she didn't recognize the same waiter from earlier pulling the napkin from her hand and directing her to another table. "Miss," his distant voice called, "It's okay. We're going to move you to that table." He motioned toward an unoccupied table a few feet back.

"Thank you," she nodded, forcing a gracious smile. With a slow exhalation of breath, she picked up her purse up from the seat beside her. "I am going to freshen up. Please tell my companions that I will join them shortly."

She locked the door behind her, despite a middle-aged woman hot on her heels. The woman banged on the door, but Blair ignored her, turing the faucet on to splash water against her reddened cheeks. She retrieved a bottle of Xanax from her purse, and cupped water in her hands to swallow the pill.

Standing back, she took in the reflection staring back at her in the mirror; tears danced in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, fanning her face in an attempt to keep them from falling. Digging through her small cosmetics pouch, she found powder, mascara, and lip gloss. She did the best she could with her appearance, fluffing her hair around her shoulders and powdering the smudged make-up on her cheeks.

She washed her hands slowly, trying to swallow down the fear that lodged itself in her throat. A few weeks ago, she'd thought that seeing his name on that wedding invitation would be the hardest thing she'd endure in her post-Chuck life, but she had been wrong. Nothing could've prepared her for seeing him in person – with his arms wrapped around the woman he was going to marry, the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with, grow old with, have babies with.

She swatted away the few remaining tears clinging to her lower lash line and pushed open the restroom door. The older woman she'd cut off made a snide comment about the 'entitlement of younger generations.' Blair simply smirked at the woman and continued her path toward Chuck, drawing on every ounce of strength she could muster.

Her feet felt like she was wading through quicksand, forcing her muscles to lift her legs with every calculated step. She looked everywhere – the kitchen, the bar, the front entrance– except at the table where her guests sat waiting for her. If she saw him again, even the smallest glimpse, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop herself from heading straight for the door.

Within a few feet of the table, she straightened her shoulders, plastering on a small smile that she hoped wouldn't read too forced to Chuck. "I'm so sorry about that," she spoke courteously, as if she was merely greeting a first-time client and not a former lover. She extended her hand to Caroline first. "It's so nice to meet you, Caroline."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Caroline and Chuck both stood from their seats, and Caroline returned Blair's handshake with a nod. "I'm excited for the opportunity to finally work with Waldorf Designs."

When Blair turned her attention to Chuck, he stood motionless with his hands firmly planted in his pockets. Okay, she thought, no handshake. She felt a slight pang of hurt jab through her chest, but she ignored it, deciding that it was probably best to avoid any physical touch with Chuck anyway.

"Chuck -" she started, but she paused awkwardly at a loss for any words that would be appropriate in that moment.

"Blair," he returned gruffly, as if her name offered enough of a greeting.

As they lowered themselves into their seats, Caroline's hand snaked to Chuck's thigh beneath the table, squeezing roughly. He raised his eyebrows in question, and she narrowed her eyes as a warning to behave cordially. She shifted her weight in her seat, effectively disguising her irritation with her fiancé, and placed her napkin in her lap. "So, Blair," she said, "Your summer line is stunning. The ruffled sundresses are to die for."

Blair had unknowingly regarded Chuck for a few seconds too long, studying the fine wrinkles outlining his mouth and analyzing the exact level of animosity hidden behind his dark eyes. When Caroline spoke, she immediately tore her gaze away from his and refocused her attention, doing her best to suppress the questions surging through her mind. She took a sip from her glass to regain her bearings, and said, "Yes. It was one of my favorite collections yet. The fall/winter collection will have a similar freshness with a complimentary color palette of rich jewel tones."

Chuck's thick voice cut in, sending shockwaves through Blair and causing the fine hairs on her arm to prickle. "And this is the line that you would like Caroline to front?"

Blair nodded, but she had to swallow to steady her breathing. How could such a simple question hurt so much? He was treating her like a business associate, and, worse, he was on Caroline's side – going to bat for her, making sure that the agreement benefited her. He was no longer worried about Blair's accomplishments or well-being. The only reason he was championing Blair's success was because it directly impacted Caroline's success.

Her eyes fell back to Caroline, taking in her long auburn waves, blue eyes, flawless figure, and sunkissed skin – a tone undoubtedly achieved from photoshoots in exotic locations. She was stunning and an absolute foil to Blair's dark hair, delicate features, and petite frame.

"Yes," Blair said, purposefully directing her answer to Caroline instead of Chuck. "This palette will look great on your skin tone."

Blair had long-since overcome her inferiority complex when it came to women who had the same general look as Serena. A large part of her growth had come from Chuck reassuring her that she was everything to him; she believed him when he told her that she had a timeless quality to her – a type of sophisticated beauty that transcended time and trends. As their relationship blossomed, she found that her confidence improved – not necessarily because of Chuck, but his gentle encouragement certainly helped dull the high school insecurities that still tried to nag at her. When he used to look at her, she could see the flames of desire and admiration dancing in his eyes, and it had been intoxicating. When he had looked at her, she felt like she could rule the world.

So, when he glanced over at Caroline and took her hand in his on top of the table, a clearly public display not lost on Blair, her heart clenched in her chest. She averted her eyes but not before she saw him smooth his thumb over her knuckles, subtly straightening her engagement ring, and agree softly, "She looks great in everything."

Blair eyed the engagement ring curiously to distract herself from the sharp pain searing through her chest. Smugly, she surmised that this ring seemed to be a little smaller than the Harry Winston he'd bought her years earlier.

"We will be in the Maldives for our honeymoon the last two weeks of October," Caroline's words cut into her thoughts.

Blair was caught off guard, suddenly all too aware of how close they were to autumn. She tried to speak, her words catching in her throat before she croaked out, "Oh, that's right." Fake smile returning to her lips, she added, "Congratulations on your engagement." Her voice cracked on the last word, but if either of her companions noticed, they didn't comment.

Chuck stiffened in his seat uncomfortably, and he raised his tumbler to his mouth in order to have some way to occupy the clammy hand that wasn't linked with Caroline's.

"Thank you," Caroline smiled sweetly at Blair, causing undeserved anger to course through the brunette's veins. "I'll also need to keep a clear schedule the week before the wedding, so I hope that those three weeks won't cause you any hardships."

"That won't be a problem," Blair answered quickly, ignoring the fact that the 'hardship' her wedding and honeymoon would cause was of the personal variety instead of a professional inconvenience. "But we can save all of the specifics for our meeting Monday morning. We can go over the contract then, before either of us sign anything to make sure that we are both comfortable with the terms, but for now, I would like us to just get to know each other better. We'll be working closely together over the next few months at least, and I would love for us to be friends."

She could feel Chuck's eyes trained on her, trying to find the hidden motive in her words, but she refused to acknowledge him.

"I would like that," Caroline agreed as the waiter came to their table to take their orders.

Caroline turned to Chuck and asked if he'd like to split the ossobuco since she couldn't possibly eat it all, but before he could respond, Blair cut in with a smirk. "Chuck doesn't eat veal."

"I do now." He glared back at her. "I'd love to share."

After the waiter left, Caroline excused herself to the restroom. Blair crossed her arms haughtily over her chest as Chuck curled his fists into balls. "What the hell are you doing, Blair?" he snarled.

"What are you talking about?" She feigned innocence.

"Stop acting like you know my preferences better than my fiancé."

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "You haven't eaten veal since you were six and your Milanese au pair told you that it was a -"

His nostrils flared, the pulse point jumping in his throat. "Yeah, well, people change, Blair." He paused, narrowing his eyes at her. "People's tastes change. They learn to like things they previously hated, or they start to loathe what they once loved."

The corner of Blair's mouth dropped a fraction before she regained control of her expression. "Why are you being deliberately cruel?"

He studied her for a moment, regretting his words, but stubbornly choosing to ignore the guilt knotting itself together in his abdomen. Instead, he settled back and responded coolly, "Because I don't trust you. Because I need you to understand that we aren't friends, and no matter how much you sweet talk Caroline, that's not going to change."

Her face fell, sadness reflecting in her round eyes. "I don't understand what I did to -"

Chuck never heard the rest of her statement because Caroline was standing next to their table before Blair could get the rest of her thoughts out. He quickly stood and pulled out her chair for his girlfriend.

Blair blinked away the moisture forming in her eyes before Caroline noticed it and asked, "So, how did you two meet?" There was an edge to her voice when she added, "I didn't even know he was dating anyone last time I ran into him in the city -"

Caroline's brows furrowed together in confusion, but Chuck quickly cut in. "That was a long time ago. We weren't dating yet -"

"Silly me," Blair raised her fork to her lips with a smirk. "It must've been, what, 2015?" She knew that she was purposefully setting him up, but she didn't care. His cruel comment had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"We started dating in 2015," Caroline said slowly, looking from Blair to Chuck. "We met at one of my shows the summer before, but we were friends first." She cut her eyes back to Chuck. "I'm surprised you never mentioned running into her in the city. You told me you hadn't seen her in six years."

"The last time I saw Blair," he growled angrily, "Was 2014. We briefly ran into each other in the park shortly before -"

Blair opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped for a moment when she realized what he was about to say. Her face softened as she took in the tension mounting beneath his locked jaw. She had pushed him too hard. "Shortly before Bart died?"

He swallowed, overwhelmed by the memories of the dozens of phone calls and text messages begging her to help him going unanswered. The muscles in his throat flexed, and he asked quietly. "You knew?"

"I -" Her voice quavered, her chin starting to tremble despite her best efforts to maintain her composure. She didn't know how to respond; he seemed irrationally angry and deeply hurt, but none of that made any sense, considering that he'd refused to answer her calls. "I'm -"

Caroline couldn't quite make out the silent conversation playing between the two brunettes, but she could feel the palpable tension bubbling around them. She vaguely recalled Chuck's reaction the night of Bart's funeral when she'd shown up at his door and he cried into her shoulder, murmuring over and over that she wasn't Blair. She'd never seen him so broken, and, in that moment, she'd hated Blair for abandoning him when he seemed to need her the most. Protectively, she cut Blair off, linking her hand once more with Chuck's, she said, "That was definitely a hard time, but we got through it together. I know that Bart would be so proud of Chuck."

Together. He'd leaned on Caroline for support; he hadn't needed Blair this time around.

"Chuck," Blair whispered when he pushed himself out of his seat.

"Don't." He demanded without looking at her. His voice was so sharp that she visibly flinched at his warning. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of Caroline's temple. There was a clear contrast between the scathing tone with which he addressed Blair and the reverent one he used with Caroline. "I need some air, so I'm going to walk home. I'll tell Arthur to wait for your call."

"I can come with -"

"No, that's okay." He smiled gently.

"I love you," she spoke softly, all too aware of Blair's eyes trained on the two of them during the not-so-private exchange.

Blair's eyes fell to her lap, one lone tear tumbling over her lash line when she heard him return quietly, "Love you, too."

Those words – the ones that he'd taken over a year to say to Blair – he'd gifted to the woman across from her without hesitation. She'd thought that those were words that he'd only ever speak to her. She'd spent years helping him open his heart and understand that feelings weren't a weakness, that showing vulnerability wasn't something to be ashamed of. He'd tested her patience and her willpower, mocked her and betrayed her, and yet she'd always welcomed him back. She'd offered him every ounce of herself in exchange, and, while he'd reciprocated for a short time, the darkness surrounding his heart like a fortress kept her out in the long term. She thought she'd torn down all his walls, and that she was his safe place, his anchor to reality.

She had been all of those things for him. She knew that much was true, but something had changed the way he viewed her. She had forgiven him time and time again, chosen him after his every transgression, loved him unconditionally when everyone else gave up on him.

Until…

Until she chose Louis.

Until she chose Dan.

Until she told him that she wasn't in love with him anymore.

Until she broke him as badly as he'd broken her, and their jagged pieces didn't fit together anymore.

Hearing him softly whisper those words to another woman broke her spirit, cutting her deep to her core in a way she'd never imagined possible, and at first, she thought he'd done it to make a point, to prove to her that she didn't have a hold on him anymore. She'd thought that he was rubbing it in her face to even the score.

But that had been her problem all along. She kept trying to make Chuck's actions about her, when every word he uttered proved otherwise. None of it was about her. He wasn't trying to best her or hurt her; in fact, it seemed, he didn't think about her at all.

He really had moved on, and that truth hit her like a punch to the gut.

"I'm sorry about that," Caroline commented cautiously after Chuck left. "Bart's still a bit of a…sore topic."

Blair cleared her throat, bringing her napkin to her lips as if to cover a cough but instead swatting away the useless tear clinging to her cheek. With a nod, she responded, "Of course. I shouldn't have mentioned it. Chuck and I…"

"Have a long history," Caroline finished for her. "I know." Her voice wasn't bitter, but it didn't quite hold the same cordiality that it had earlier, either.

"I don't want you to think that this," Blair straightened her back and motioned across the table, "Is some kind of ploy to get back into Chuck's good graces."

Caroline remained quiet for some time, letting Blair marinate on the silence extending between them. To some degree, she believed that Blair meant what she said, but on the other hand, she'd clearly seen each subtle flicker of emotion cross Blair's features when Chuck would touch her or whisper a word of encouragement in her ear. She certainly hadn't missed the tiny tear hanging onto a dark eyelash when Chuck kissed her goodbye.

Finally, the model sat forward, clasping her hands on the table in front of her, and said, "Listen, I believe you, but Chuck doesn't trust you. He thinks you have ulterior motives and that you are using me to get to him." She paused, adjusting her bracelet around her wrist. "Either way, it doesn't really matter to me. We're getting married in a few months, and we've overcome a lot together – including Bart's death. I know that you left some impenetrable mark on his heart that has had a profound impact on his view of relationships; I won't pretend like you weren't important to him. But all of that's in the past. I'm not threatened by your history with my fiancé, so I'll be able to work with you and Waldorf Designs without conflict." Blair's expression remained stoic, not revealing anything about the thoughts swirling around her head. "The question is," Caroline continued, "Are you so threatened by my relationship with your ex-boyfriend that it will create a conflict of interest? You say you want to be friends, but before that can ever happen, we have to make sure that my involvement with Chuck won't be an issue."

Blair swallowed, pursing her lips together at the audacity of this woman to question her propriety. "I assure you," she stated firmly, one eyebrow slightly arched in challenge, "That our professional relationship shall remain nothing short of respectable. I view Chuck as a childhood friend – like Serena and Nate – and I will conduct myself accordingly."

"Good," Caroline offered Blair a smug smile. "I really do look forward to working with you."

A/N: I know you all have been waiting on this for a while, but this chapter has taken weeks of revisions because I couldn't quite get this dinner right. If you read carefully, then you'll probably pick up on a few inconsistencies in the characters' stories because our core four are not entirely honest with themselves and each other.