Author's Note:

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, no matter how you chose to celebrate. And cheers to the New Year! As a little treat, enjoy this new chapter, and a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and share their thoughts! You really brighten my days.


Inside the dimly lit limousine, the indistinct glimmer of champagne immediately caught Serena's attention as she sank into the cold leather seat. Chuck waited until she was settled before joining her, strategically blocking her exit. He couldn't afford to let her slip away for a second time. They were going to that damn party, the four of them, and they would go together, no matter what.

"Hand me the bottle," Serena demanded.

"Setting the bar rather high today, aren't we?" Chuck quipped. "The fun part hasn't even started yet. Should I be worried or impressed by your enthusiasm?"

Her stepsister leaned over to reach for the bottle herself.

"If only someone hadn't forced me into this vehicle like a damn prisoner," Serena grumbled, her voice laced with bitterness.

Chuck raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Where are your manners?"

"Don't you dare talk to me about manners, Chuck."

Serena took a large and hasty gulp, nearly draining the entire bottle of champagne in one go.

"I don't give a damn how you do it," Chuck said. "Feel free to yell, fight, or scratch each other's eyes out for all I care. But sort this mess out, because I'm not staying in a house where you three can't be in the same room for more than a hot minute."

Chuck loved Nate, he really did, but he couldn't bear another moment of that perpetual sorrowful look. It had become insufferable, teetering on the brink of being outright pathetic. He had tried to pull him out of the rut, to get him to talk about something other than the two girls in the back seat of his limousine, but Nate remained stubbornly fixated on his misery like a broken record. Chuck wasn't exactly a relationship expert, and he couldn't help but wonder when Nate thought it was a good idea to start treating him like one. After all, his own life was a complete train wreck, and the irony was impossible to ignore.

Not only that, but after Chuck confessed that he had chosen Blair over Nate, his best friend seemed increasingly annoyed whenever Chuck was around her, scrutinizing their every move as if panning for gold in a river.

It was time to stage an intervention.

"Hey!" Blair snatched the bottle for Serena's grasp. "Leave some for me."

Blair occupied the seat on Serena's opposite side, and her stern, disapproving looks were as piercing as daggers. Originally, Chuck and Blair had planned to come together, leaving Nate and Serena to arrange their own transportation. However, he had changed his mind, and Blair was less than happy about it.

Meanwhile, Nate gazed out the window, observing the passing streets and bystanders as if he were the protagonist in the opening scene of a movie. When was he going to grow the balls to talk to either one of them? Really talk to them, not just shadow them like a lost puppy, waiting for them to do all the work.

It promised to be one hell of a long night.

"Don't tell me I also forced you here like a damn prisoner." Chuck turned his attention to Blair.

"That would have been better than being dragged here under false pretenses," Blair retorted, her arms crossed in defiance.

"If you were that desperate to have me all to yourself in the back of a limo, all you had to do was say the words."

"You wish," Blair replied with a fiery stare.

A burning sensation coursed through his veins, the allure of the forbidden and the irresistible pull between them intensifying every time their eyes met.

"You have no idea," he muttered to himself, his words going unnoticed by his friends.

While Blair finished off what was left of the champagne bottle, Chuck traced the liquid's graceful descent down her throat. Each sip of champagne brought him closer to a precipice, where the boundaries of their relationship blurred.

The limousine wound its way through the most expensive neighborhoods of the East End of Long Island en route to Nelly's grandmother's residence. Chuck had been there two or three times as a boy, following his father around begging for a moment of his time, and the house, though not perched on the beachfront, exuded opulence and luxury in every detail. The event and Nelly herself were completely indifferent to Chuck. These gatherings were little more than congregations of empty elites, their lives consumed by idle chatter and the misfortunes of others. It was not the soirée that held his interest but the promise of impending chaos that set his pulse racing.

"I can't wait to see how Penelope and Isabel are going to outdo themselves in their outfits today," Blair mused, a hint of mockery in her tone.

"B, aren't they your friends?" Serena questioned.

Blair smirked, replying, "As if. I don't befriend people so easily, Serena. I'm not you."

Abruptly, the limo came to a halt, and Blair would have been thrown from her seat had it not been for Serena's steadying arm. A grateful smile passed between the two friends.

Chuck leaned forward and rapped his knuckles against the window separating them from their driver, demanding, "Arthur! What happened?"

"Nothing to fret about, sir. We had a close call with a motorcycle, but everything's under control," Arthur reassured Chuck.

A motorcycle. How fitting.

Nate thought it was probably a great time to remember they existed. "Are you alright?" he asked Blair, concern in his eyes.

"Absolutely peachy."

To Chuck's knowledge, that curt two-word response was the first thing Blair had said to Nate since the moment he had left them together in Blair's room.

Chuck had been honest with her; he didn't want her and Nate to get back together. The thought of them rekindling their relationship and going back to Blair begging for his best friend's affection made him nauseous. She deserved to flourish, not to be diminished. Nonetheless, they needed to have a real conversation, and Blair needed to unburden herself like a ship unmooring from a heavy anchor.

"Can we talk?" Nate continued.

Blair scoffed, "Do you think this is the best time to talk?"

"It's never the right moment with you."

"And why is that?"

Nate's apology came slowly as he searched for the right words. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened. I truly am. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

Blair laughed bitterly, "Sorry? Were you sorry when you were drooling all over Serena yesterday?"

"I didn't do such a thing," Nate protested, confused.

"You may think you're subtle, but you're the most obvious person on the planet."

He attempted to explain, "I—"

Blair cut him off, "I couldn't care less. Stare all you want, have your way with her. I'm done with you, as I should have been a long time ago."

"Hey, I'm right here," Serena chimed in.

"I also don't care." Blair was in no mood to accommodate anyone. She stood up as best as she could and headed for the limo's mini bar to grab another bottle.

Chuck tried to stop her, "I think that's—"

But Blair was unstoppable in her current state, a force of nature unleashed. "You too, shut up, Chuck. This is all your fault."

Uncorking the bottle and taking another substantial swig of champagne, Blair returned to her seat, putting a bit more distance between herself and Serena. She needed to slow down if she wanted to make it to the party in one piece.

"Get it through that thick skull of yours. We're not getting back together. Ever. No matter how much you plead, beg, or cry. We're over." Blair confronted Nate once more.

The finality of her words almost made Chuck smile, but he resisted with a shake of his head. That, unequivocally, was his girl.

Nate struggled to respond, stammering, "But…"

"But nothing. Why do you want to keep being miserable, Nate?"

"I was not miserable with you. I love you."

Blair's indignation was palpable. She stumbled as the limousine took another turn, and Chuck almost reached out to steady her. But he remained seated, choosing to lie low as the storm raged on.

"Stop lying to me! To yourself. Be a man for once and accept that this is not what you want. This is what your mother wants. You never wanted this. And I'm done being the one who always has to try to salvage something that's utterly hopeless. I don't want to be second best. I've been in that place long enough," she breathed heavily. "I deserve better than you."

"I'm sorry," Nate offered.

Blair shot him a withering look, retorting, "I've already heard that."

Serena intervened, "Blair, can we calm down?"

But Blair refused to back down. "No! Didn't you all want me to talk about it? To face it? Well, here we are, facing it."

"Not like this."

"It just hurts to hear the truth, doesn't it, S?"

"You're right." Nate finally spoke.

"What?"

"Yes! You were right. You are right. I have not been honest with you, not now, not for the last couple of years in our relationship."

Blair's mouth opened in astonishment.

"I've been pushing for this relationship, not because I wanted it, but because my family needed you, your family, to fix a lot of the problems we are in," Nate confessed. "And when I say I'm sorry, Blair, I really mean it. I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry for making you feel insignificant, and even though I can't give you what you truly deserve, I do appreciate you as a friend."

"Friend," Blair muttered.

"Mister Bass, we are already here." Arthur's voice resonated through the glass.

The limousine pulled to a stop, and as the door swung open, the ambient sounds of the lively party enveloped them. Their view from the outside was limited, but the soft glow of lights spilled from the open doors and windows of the summer residence.

Chuck was the first to step out, adjusting his exquisitely tailored black suit. He had chosen to forego a tie for a more relaxed and casual look, leaving the first button of his shirt undone. Blair, albeit a bit unsteady on her feet due to the champagne, followed with a resolute air, determined to put their recent argument behind her. Nate and Serena emerged last, unable to meet each other's gaze. It was but a matter of time before they surrendered to the inevitability of their feelings. Serena might think she was in love with Humphrey, but their façade of a relationship was on a path to nowhere.

Upon crossing the threshold into the grand house, Blair and Serena left the boys to their own luck, offering vague promises of reuniting later as they went arm in arm to make their presence known. Knowing Blair, her minions were in for a treat.

With a casual pat on Nate's back, Chuck pulled a bag of pot from his pocket and gestured toward the table stocked with potent alcohol.

"Let's seek the end of the bottle," Chuck suggested.

Nate offered no resistance.

Approaching the table, Chuck poured a rich, amber whiskey into Nate's glass, handing it to him without a word. Nate downed the glass in one swift gulp, a silent plea for Chuck to refill it. Chuck obliged, filling Nate's glass up to two fingers once more, as well as his own.

It was definitely going to be one hell of a long night.

"Hey, Chuck!" a cute girl, whose name escaped him, greeted him with a warm smile as she passed by. "Will I see you later?"

Chuck couldn't recall where they had met. Was she one of the Carrington girls? He wasn't sure. Or the Beckman's? From that party two months ago. There was no point in trying to remember, so he returned the smile and nodded. "Certainly."

Perhaps he'd have some fun after all, he mused, though the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Nate's somber demeanor persisted, his gaze fixed on Serena and Blair at the far end of the room. The two of them had already secured glasses and were effortlessly mingling with the other guests. Blair, as always, radiated confidence, her authoritative and regal posture outshining everyone in the room, including Serena. It might have been Nelly Yuki's party, but the queen would forever be Blair. No matter how hard others tried, they could never quite match her.

"Care to share the thrilling details of yesterday's game?" Chuck attempted to steer Nate away from his depressive path, a task that seemed increasingly impossible with each passing minute. He didn't know what more he could do. He had tried drugs, alcohol, girls, and even joining Nate on his early morning jogs. Who woke up at five in the morning just to run?

Nate remained silent, downing his second glass.

"You need to shake it off, Archibald," Chuck prodded further. "There are plenty of fish in the sea, and that lost puppy look isn't doing you any favors."

Nate's reply came after a moment's pause, his gaze shifting from the girls to Chuck, a heavy sigh accompanying his words. "You don't understand. What I said in the limo…"

Chuck meticulously crumbled a bit of pot onto a silver tray resting on the table, seamlessly blending it in a sleekly rolled cigarette. The pungent aroma of the illicit herb wafted through the air. With a flick of his expensive lighter, he ignited the cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke. "Imagine I don't and enlighten me."

Taking a deep drag, he savored the distinct melding of tobacco and pot, allowing the harmonious blend to cocoon him in a cloud of soothing relaxation. Chuck extended the cigarette toward Nate, who declined with a subtle shake of his head.

Whatever. You only lived once.

"The thing about your mother and your family. What's going on there?" Chuck pressed for more information.

"We're in a lot of debt, man."

"What are you talking about? You're a Vanderbilt, for heaven's sake."

"My grandfather wants nothing to do with my dad. He has left my mother to fend for herself as long as she remains married to him, and we won't see a penny."

"So, you're fucked."

"Pretty much."

"And your family is counting on Blair's family to save your father's sorry ass," Chuck summarized bluntly.

Nate nodded in confirmation. "My father needs Eleanor to trust him with her company, and that will only happen if I stay with Blair. If her mother believes we're still together, it's our ticket to pay off the debt and everything would be back to normal."

"Minus Blair."

"My mother wants me to give her my grandmother's ring to prove our loyalty."

"That's low," Chuck reflected, astonished. "Even for me."

"I know," Nate replied, reaching for another glass of whiskey.

"Take it easy."

"Look, I'm well aware of how it sounds, and there isn't a day that goes by without me feeling guilty about this. It has been eating away at me. But I don't know what else to do. If we break up, my family faces ruin. If I continue pretending, I hurt her. It's a lose-lose situation."

"If it's money you need, you can have what's in my trust fund. I don't need it."

"I don't want to borrow your money, Chuck."

"Why not? Is your grand scheme with Blair a noble way to get money?"

"No, but—"

"No 'buts,' Nathaniel. Stop hurting Blair. She doesn't deserve this."

"Don't you think I know that?"

"You've had a peculiar way of showing it."

Nate shot Chuck a piercing look.

"Who do you think you are now? Her guardian?"

"Don't take it out on me." Chuck took another deep drag of the cigarette. "I'm the last person who would judge you here. You could murder someone, and I'd help you hide the body. Hell, I've played alongside you in your game with Serena long enough, longer than I should have. But you need to stop this. We don't hurt each other. At least, we try not to."

"The four of us. We're family," he continued, his words resonating with the weight of years filled with shared secrets and an unbreakable bond.

Yet another question gnawed at Chuck's mind, one he suspected he knew the answer to but desperately needed his friend to voice. "Do you love her?" he finally ventured, his eyes locked onto Nate's, searching for a glimpse of the truth within. His heart raced, awaiting the response.

"Who?"

"Need me to spell it out for you? Don't be dense."

"Yes, I do," Nate paused. "I did. It was simpler when we were kids. No expectations, just us. Blair was the most beautiful girl in school, and I was the most popular. It made sense. We made sense. She was fun to be around, the girl with the headband, full of spirit and determination. She had us all wrapped around her little finger."

Nate's eyes sparkled with nostalgia, and Chuck couldn't help but share a smile. He'd been smitten from the moment he met her. But his best friend didn't need to know that.

"But as time passed, that feeling never really grew into something more. I care about her deeply, you know that, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with her." Nate resumed.

"If you're unsure, it's probably not love."

"And what do you know about love, Chuck?"

"You're right. I don't know anything."

As the party went on, a group of girls, including the one Chuck was supposed to remember, could not stop looking in their direction. There was a constant murmur circulating among them, and the girl in question playfully whispered to her closest friend before sending a suggestive wink his way. Yet, on this night, the innate seductive charm that usually accompanied Chuck along with the inclination to whisk her away to intimate quarters were conspicuously absent. He was such an idiot.

Despite his effort to force another smile, his expression twisted into more of a grimace. Undeterred, the girl continued to beam at him.

Resolute in not delving too deeply into the conflicting signals from his body and mind, Chuck finished his cigarette and tossed it out into the silver tray. Anxiously, he hoped that the potent combination of weed and alcohol would lull the remaining neurons of his mind into a merciful slumber, silencing them completely.

However, such a respite would not be possible. The high-pitched, hysterical laughter of none other than Georgina fucking Sparks echoed like a symphony of madness too close to his liking, prompted by some remark from Nelly Yuki. Nothing the nerd could say could be that amusing. But that wasn't the most surprising thing. Georgina hung provocatively from the arm of the boy who had crawled out of the sewers of Brooklyn, while Nelly looked at him with a loving gaze.

"Blair is going to annihilate them."

"Who?"

Chuck motioned toward Georgina, who had now taken to whispering into Dan's ear. It seemed she had found herself a new play date. Only time would tell how long this one would last. The real question lay on the nature of this connection—was it a mere parasitic arrangement, or could it evolve into something more symbiotic?

"I hate him," Nate growled.

"That's a strong sentiment coming from you, brother."

"He is always parading around as if he's better than us, and then he treats Serena like shit."

"I'm not sure that stylish lumberjack shirt elevates him above us," Chuck remarked. "He just reeks of desperation—a poor attempt to worm his way into our world."

"Really?"

"Obsessed even."

"Do you think he's using Serena?"

"Without a doubt."

Serena and Blair were blissfully unaware of the ticking time bomb, engrossed in their own little world. However, it was only a matter of time before the news spread. Whether it was the spawn of Satan or Humphrey's homeless appearance in a high-society party, the duo's presence was definitely going to make the rounds.

"Let's go before this whole situation turns into a complete disaster. After what I pulled today and your little revelation in the limo, Waldorf is out for blood."

Nate nodded.

Chuck swiftly drained his glass, leaving it on the table as he approached his friends, Nate at his side.

"How are our favorite girls?" Chuck asked, smoothly inserting himself between them, his arms casually draping over their shoulders.

"What's gotten into you?" Blair inquired, a single eyebrow arching in suspicion.

"I was merely contemplating the sheer wonder of us being here together."

"You're drunk."

"Not quite."

"Then you've lost your mind. What are you scheming, Bass? I know you."

Could Nate be of any help here? Unfortunately, his best friend turned out to be as useless as an appendix.

"I've said it before, parties are dreadfully dull without you."

Blair, clearly unconvinced, scanned the surroundings. When she was about to discover what they were spectacularly failing to keep from her, Chuck let go of Serena and pivoted Blair, compelling her to meet his gaze.

"Blair…"

"Bastard," Serena interjected.

With a gesture of surrender, Chuck released Blair. They couldn't say he hadn't tried.

"Oh, no, no." Blair finally realized, and her gaze transformed into one of pure, unbridled hatred. "They are going to find out who the real bitch is here. For real this time."

With a determined stride and a deadly stare, she advanced toward the new couple. Serena, Nate and Chuck trailed behind, unwilling to leave her alone. Pieces of Georgina could end up scattered in every corner of the room, and Chuck wanted a front row seat to the impending show.

"What did I tell you?" Blair seethed.

"Babe, do you hear something?" Georgina said to Dan with a devilish smirk, feigning innocence.

Dan shrugged, a defiant glint in his eyes. "It must be the wind."

Babe. Serena's face flushed crimson at the implication.

Blair closed in on Georgina. "I'm going to rip you to shreds," she hissed, her fingers clenching into tight fists, "and once I'm through, there won't be a damn thing left for the vultures. Not that they'd fancy a bite of you anyway."

"Blair, darling, you're always so dramatic. What's got your knickers in a twist this time, huh?"

"I wasn't aware that today's dress code leaned towards attention-seeking and poor taste. My mistake."

"I think it's more about betraying best friends and making a fool of yourself," Georgina replied with a mocking smile.

"Georgie, sweetie," Blair emphasized the nickname with a disdainful note in her voice. "At least I have friends, unlike you, desperately clinging to relevance like it's last year's fashion trend."

"Embrace those brief moments of attention before the world shifts its focus to the next puppet."

Blair laughed.

"You actually thought you could come back here and act like nothing happened. I made it abundantly clear—I never want to see you again."

"Since when do I care in the slightest about what you want?" Georgina dismissed with a wave.

"You should. I rule here, and there is no room for harpies nor for leeches." Blair cast a quick glance at Dan. "Have you mistaken this place for your own personal circus?"

"Every circus needs a clown and you fit the bill perfectly."

"And you're just the wild animal trying to steal the spotlight, and we all know how those end up—tamed or caged."

In the midst of all the commotion, Serena didn't take her eyes off Dan and Georgina. Dan squirmed a little but remained calm, trying to appear unaffected by Serena's gaze or Blair's words.

"Are you two together?" Serena interrupted, the question slipping out of her.

Dan sought Georgina's approval before he replied, "Actually, we are." Georgina leaned into him, a sly grin playing on her lips, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding around her.

"Looks like the circus has brought you together after all," Chuck commented dryly.

Georgina brushed off his remark. He clearly wasn't the target of her plan, nor did she want him anywhere near it. But she was dreaming if she thought he'd stand idly by. Chuck Bass was not Nate Archibald.

"It seems like we should all be celebrating." Georgina raised her glass to Serena. "You and Nate. Dan and me." She winked.

Blair's jaw tensed, but she swiftly masked it with a cold smile. "The only thing worthy of celebration is your audacity, believing anyone cares about you and this pitiful excuse for a writer. Cheers to delusion."

"Don't be jealous, Blair; they say a powerful woman has to stand all by herself, right?"

"And you, of course, wouldn't understand the concept, would you? Forever clinging to a man's arm, unable to shine on your own. Bored of Chuck already, are we?"

"More like I'm bored of her," Chuck added, his tone nonchalant. "There's only so much begging a man can handle."

A fleeting, almost imperceptible frown marred Georgina's bitchy posture, and her eyes, once sparkling with mischief, now betrayed a glint of pain. As she crossed her arms defensively over her chest, her finger tapped an impatient rhythm against her forearm. Georgina Sparks didn't cope well with rejection.

In that moment, clarity flashed in Serena's eyes, and Chuck could see the gears turning in her mind. Without missing a beat, she shifted her focus to Chuck, a predatory glint in her gaze. No.

No. No. No.

"It's not me and Nate who we should be celebrating," Serena declared, looking intensely at Dan and Georgina as she moved towards Chuck.

"He is your brother," Georgina spat, almost at a loss for words.

"Stepbrother," Serena corrected. "And since when did you become the poster girl for morality?"

"I don't believe you," Dan interjected skeptically.

"Would you like us to put on a show for you, Humphrey?" Chuck pulled Serena closer, deciding to play along with the charade.

Blair's eyes bore into him, the flames of anger and disappointment flickering just beneath the surface. To defy the rules Serena had laid down would be to concede victory to those two, an outcome Chuck couldn't allow. The end undoubtedly justified the means, and Chuck was determined to play every card. Then, why did he feel a pang of guilt deep inside, as if he were betraying Blair? He forcefully redirected his focus, reminding himself that in any game, he was not just a player but the undisputed master.

Serena pressed herself harder against every inch of his body, but it failed to stir anything within him. It was like trying to light a match in the middle of a windstorm. Even for Chuck Bass, there were lines he neither dared nor wanted to cross.

"You don't do relationships," Dan persisted, probably attempting to convince himself.

"Who said anything about relationships? Don't be old-fashioned. Living in Brooklyn, you'd think you'd be at the rise of progress."

Chuck looked Serena up and down, lasciviously. "Besides, we don't need a label to enjoy each other fully. In myriad ways, in countless places."

Dan swallowed with difficulty. "That's disgusting."

"Says who? The one tangled up in the sheets with Georgina Sparks?"

"It's completely different. She's not my sister." Dan's retort fell flat.

"Don't get nervous. Serena's not mine either."

"You know Chuck really knows how to pleasure a woman. And there's just something about the forbidden… it really gets my blood going." Serena decided to participate, likely taking advantage of Dan's evident discomfort.

"She was... tired of childish games, craving someone more seasoned. If you catch my drift."

Dan's mask slipped completely. They had struck a nerve. Or two.

"Exactly," she said, sliding a hand through the lapel of his suit jacket and getting it into his shirt. "I didn't know how much I was missing."

"Good luck collecting a bunch of venereal diseases," Dan said in a last attempt to regain some dignity.

"I could say the same to you," Serena replied.

"You were so quick to jump first into my bed, then Nate's, then Chuck's. Is there anyone else missing from this party who might be next?"

"Don't make me punch you in the face, Humphrey." Chuck was dying to do so.

Dan distanced himself from Georgina and withdrew. He really thought he could play the game, but, to no one's surprise, Dan had no idea who he was dealing with. Games were Chuck's second skin, and even if Serena was mostly an amateur, she held herself together almost gracefully.

Serena tried to follow him, but Chuck held her tightly against him. If she left now, all the effort put into this impromptu act would be in vain. Let Humphrey enjoy the consequences of trying to outwit them; it was a lesson he obviously needed to learn.

"I gotta go find my boyfriend," Georgina said, still a bit shaken.

Serena lunged forward as if to punch her, but Chuck intervened for the second time. Once Georgina was out of sight, Chuck and Serena let go of each other.

"Easy," Chuck advised. "Humphrey will be begging on his knees in no time. Just give him some space. They're not a thing."

"I'm getting out of here. This party sucks," Blair announced out of nowhere.

Her crossed arms and the tense lines on her face told him that something was definitely wrong. They needed to talk, even if he wasn't quite sure about what. The only thing that was clear to Chuck was that he was not going to let her go alone right now. "I'll come with you."

"Don't talk to me."

While not exactly promising, Blair hadn't explicitly told him that he couldn't join her. He could work with that.

"Nathaniel? Serena? Are you both coming?" Chuck asked his friends.

"I'm going to stay here if you don't mind," Serena replied.

"I'll stay with her," Nate decided.

Chuck had no objections whatsoever.

"Don't get mad, B. It was either him or Nate, and you know I couldn't use Nate." Serena seemed to sense her friend's distress and attempted to smooth out the edges.

"Why would I get mad? You can do whatever you want with him," Blair almost spat the last word.

With that, she marched toward the entrance of the house.

Chuck bid farewell to Nate and Serena, winking as he said, "Don't do something I wouldn't do."

As they were exiting the house, the group of girls from before stopped him, causing Blair to pause when she realized he wasn't following.

"Where are you going?" the girl said with a hand on his chest. Amanda? Juliet?

"I'm leaving."

"But you promised me something."

"I didn't do such a thing. Look, you're cute and all. I'm sure you'll find someone else, but I have to go."

"With her."

"I'm not just 'her'. I'm Blair Waldorf. You better learn that name."

Blair wasn't just mad; she was absolutely furious. Her face was an open book.