I love you。 I always have。” She brushed a lock of hair out of Thaddeus’s eyes； the way she used to after she’d hugged a sweaty and disheveled Nate when he’d just won a St。 Jude’s lacrosse game。 “I’d never leave you。 Sometimes I wake up and I think I must be dreaming。 I love you so much。 Just—make me the happiest girl ever and love me back。” A single tear trickled down her cheek。 “Please？”
“And； cut！” Ken stood up； waving his stubby hands wildly in excitement。 “Fucking brilliant； Serena。 Love the way you went off script there。 You put me through the fucking wringer so you can show that shit off？ That’s my girl！” He grabbed Serena’s waist and awkwardly spun her around。 “We’ve got a fucking hit on our hands if you keep it up。 Now； let’s get back into the next scene。 Coast on this moment of brilliance。”
Serena shook her head definitively。 She needed to say those words to the one person who mattered。 She needed to find Nate。 Maybe he was in love with Blair。 But she couldn’t ever be happy unless he knew how she felt。
“I can’t！” Serena told him。 She didn’t care if she got fired。 Who cared about Holly？ Serena’s life was real。 And it was time she stopped pretending。
“’Bye！” She called； nearly tripping as she ran outside into the cold January afternoon。
Who doesn’t love a Hollywood ending？
b’s surprise； take two
“I have to leave you now。 I’m going to that corner there and turn。 You must stay in the car and drive away。 Promise me not to watch me go beyond the corner。 Just drive away and leave me as I leave you。” On…screen； Audrey Hepburn； as Princess Anne in Roman Holiday； turned away from Gregory Peck。 The camera zoomed to Gregory； who was eyeing her with a mix of sorrow and awe and sadness on his face。 Blair pressed rewind and watched as Gregory’s face built itself back up。
She sighed。 It was so romantic and clean the way Princess Anne broke up with him。 She felt bad for Gregory—and Pete—but； like Audrey； she’d known it was the right thing to do。 There was no way she and Pete could be together when she and Nate had always been destined for each other。 Pete had been a charming distraction； but he wasn’t her leading man。
Blair turned off the TV and glanced down at her Rolex。 It was almost eight。 Nate should be back from Le Cirque； where he’d been forced to attend dinner with his parents before they went off to the opera。 And Serena probably wouldn’t be back from rehearsal for hours。
She dialed Nate’s number。 “Are you home yet？” she demanded。
“Yeah； my parents actually—”
“Great。 I’ll be over in ten minutes；” Blair said。 She was having a serious Nate craving； especially now that there was nothing to keep them apart。
She rummaged through Serena’s closet and found a long Dries van Noten black tunic that looked like it had never been worn。 Knowing Serena； it probably hadn’t。 She pulled it on over a pair of gray Wolford stockings； then eased her feet into her slouchy black Frye boots。 She pulled on a gray beret； slung her large Lanvin hobo bag over her shoulder； and ran out。
Snow was beginning to fall； and Blair wished she’d worn a coat as she walked the familiar path from Serena’s limestone building on Eighty…third and Fifth to Nate’s stately town house on Eighty…second and Park。 Blair gingerly picked her way up the icy steps and pressed the button for Nate’s room； relieved that he had his own private doorbell。
The buzzer rang to allow her in； and Blair gingerly pushed the door open； inhaling the entryway’s familiar scent of floor polish and lilacs。 Everything—the Van Gogh above the mantle； the austere chandelier in the main dining room； the white marble kitchen—looked exactly like it had since she’d first started ing to Nate’s house when she was five。 She took the stairs two at a time and burst into Nate’s bedroom。
“Hey！” Nate was seated at his desk in front of his Mac Air。 He wore the moss green sweater Blair had given him in high school。 Back then； she’d secretly sewn a gold heart pendant into the inside—the same gold heart he’d given her from Tiffany—so Nate would always be wearing her heart on his sleeve。 “I have a surprise for you；” Nate said； swiveling in his Eames chair to face her。
“Really？” Blair asked uncertainly； tugging her hat off and shaking her hair out around her shoulders。 She’d had enough surprises for the day。
Nate grinned。 He couldn’t wait to tell Blair what he’d decided。 He hooked his fingers underneath the sweater and pulled it up。
“That’s the surprise？” Blair rolled her eyes； even though she got a little excited at the sight of Nate’s taut； tanned abs。
“No； look！” Nate yanked the sweater over his head to reveal a white T…shirt with a navy blue Yale insignia。
Blair gasped。 He was ing back to school with her？ This was way better than any ring。 “Oh； Nate！” she exclaimed； throwing her arms around his neck。
Nate smiled happily。 He couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to realize that he and Blair were meant to be together。 Sure； she could be a pain in the ass； but she was his pain in the ass。 And after his conversation with Chuck the other night； college suddenly seemed like a good option。 He couldn’t sail around the world forever。
“I don’t want to say goodbye to you again。 Maybe I can even get placed in your dorm。” He grinned。 He still couldn’t believe how easy the decision had been。
“I’ll arrange everything；” Blair said matter…of…factly。 She couldn’t believe how； after her shitstorm of a year； her life had finally settled down。 Everything was perfectly in place。 “We’ll get an apartment together。 Then we can have a huge party and I’ll introduce you to everyone！”
Blair ran her hands over the Yale insignia across his strong chest。 “I love you； Nate；” she whispered。
Looks like someone got a Bulldog for Christmas。
les liaisons dangereuses： upper west side edition
Vanessa slammed down the top of her MacBook Pro in frustration。 It was now totally dark outside； and she’d spent the past two hours sitting at the laminate counter in the Humphreys’ kitchen； Googling Hollis。 She’d found out he ran track in high school； that his mom was a sociology and gender studies professor at UCLA； his dad was a pioneer in philanthropic microlending to developing countries； and that he’d won several film contests as an undergrad。 He’d also showed up in a couple Tribeca Film Festival party photos； above the caption “The Sexy Side of Celluloid。”
She couldn’t stop thinking about him。 She wondered what his bedroom looked like and if he had a girlfriend and what he was doing now。 And； of course； what he thought of the kiss。
The kiss。
It shouldn’t have happened。 Vanessa knew that。 She’d immediately broken it off and run all the way down the four flights of stairs and hailed a cab。 It wasn’t until she was halfway home that she’d realized she’d left her video camera at his apartment。 She’d sent him a quick e…mail asking him to drop it off at the Cantor Film Center； where she’d pick it up next semester； but hadn’t heard anything back。 Which was a good thing。 Maybe Hollis regretted the kiss just as much as she did。 After all； Dan would be back in a few days—back for good。 They were about to start a new life together。 Entertaining a crush on her former TA was not a promising start。
The loud screech of the buzzer yanked Vanessa out of her reverie。 She slid off the steel stool and ran over to the ancient inter system。
“Hello？” she asked curiously。 Maybe it was one of Rufus’s Beat poet friends。 They sometimes stopped by without warning。
“Vanessa？” a gravelly voice asked。 Hollis。 Fuck。 Why had he e here？ Was he stalking her？
Asks the girl who’s spent the entire afternoon on a Googlefest。
“Hey；” Vanessa said。 She tried to sound casual； but it came out more like a bark。
“I have your camera。 Buzz me up？” Hollis yelled into the inter。 Vanessa looked around in panic。 The general level of cleanliness of the Humphrey apartment always hovered somewhere between dusty and disastrous； and it was closer to the disastrous end of the spectrum today。 With Rufus and Dan away； Vanessa had gotten lazy。 There were half…empty mugs of tea everywhere； her clothes created a messy trail from the living room to the bedroom； and she was in her pj’s； a cut…up black sweatshirt and boy shorts。
She quickly ran into the bathroom and bed her fingers through her short black hair。 Right now； the back was misbehaving； turning up in a little ducktail no matter how many times she smoothed it down。 She frowned as she noticed a deodorant stain on the outside edge of her sweatshirt。 She hurriedly threw the sweatshirt on the floor and ran into her bedroom。 She rifled through the dresser drawer and picked out a gray long…sleeve thermal T…shirt and an old Marc by Marc Jacobs jean skirt she’d co…opted from Blair Waldorf during the few weeks they’d been roommates the year before。 She just finished buttoning the skirt when she heard a knock on the door。
She swung open the door and stood in the entrance。 Hollis wore a messenger cap and square Prada glasses。 His gray eyes looked slightly tired； like he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a few days。
Vanessa grinned fir