tree…lined valley below。 She was wearing the tiniest white shorts he had ever seen； and they made
her legs look ridiculously touchable。 She hopped up onto the wall and pouted her lips。
？Take a picture！？
Grinning and horny all over again； Nate fumbled with his seat belt and burst out of the car；
willing himself not to run over to the stone wall and stick his hands down her tiny shorts。 He took
the camera from Blair？s outstretched hand instead。 ？Say cheese。？
Blair stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes。
？Gorgeous。？ Nate laughed at tan； happy； beautiful Blair on the little LCD screen。
Blair patted the wall next to her。 ？Take one of both of us together。？
Nate clambered up on the wall and held the camera out in front of them。 Blair pressed her
smooth cheek against his。 The smell of her made him feel lightheaded； and he put his free hand
out to steady himself。
Careful there； slugger。
？I want our whole summer to be just like this。？ Blair slipped her arm through his and
sighed。 ？The two of us； alone on the open sea。 No people； no worries。 It？ll be perfect。？ Just like in
the movie set on constant replay in her mind。
Nate nodded。 ？I can？t wait to get out on the water。？ The mental image of Blair in her bikini；
lolling about on the deck of theCharlotte； swept over him。 It was happening at last。 The real
summer he was meant to have was beginning？ and everything was falling into place。 Driving
northeast in that the serene summer afternoon toward the ocean； toward freedom； with Blair right
next to him 。 。 。 Nate could feel the weight of all his past mistakes lift off of his shoulders。 He had
never swiped from his coach？s stash of Viagra； he had never had his diploma withheld； he had
never hooked up with Tawny； he had never rubbed ointment on Babs？s tattoo。 He had just spent
the night with Blair； and he was about to spend the rest of the summer with her and maybe the rest
of his life。 All was as it should be with the universe。
？Okay。 Time to drive。？ It was almost like Blair was reading his mind。 She hopped down from the
wall； grabbing the camera from Nate？s hand to scrutinize the pictures he？d just taken。
？I just gotta make a pit stop。？ He nodded in the direction of the concrete bungalow that housed
the roadside restrooms。
？Be quick about it。？ Blair kissed his cheek before skipping back to the passenger seat。
Inside the chemical…smelling bathroom； Nate focused on what would happen a couple of hours
from that moment； when they at last reached their destination。 He closed his eyes； picturing Blair
skipping ahead of him； up the gangplank and onto the yacht； shedding those tiny white shorts as
she went。
As he washed his hands； Nate felt the familiar throb of his phone vibrating in the pocket of his
cargo shorts。 It was probably Blair； telling him to hurry up。 He smiled。 Some things never
changed？like Blair？s impatience。 He dialed his voicemail； hoping to listen to the sexy message
Blair had left him as he dried his hands。 The phone was perched precariously between his ear and
his shoulder and he almost dropped it into the sink when instead of hearing Blair？s sly； giggly
voice； he heard the angry grumble of Coach Michael？s。
？Archibald； I don？t know what the hell you think you？re pulling； but you better be on your
deathbed right now。 Thought my wife would cover for you？ Forget it； kid。 She said you were
smoking pot in my fucking attic。 Under my goddamn roof。You think I was bluffing； Archibald？
I？m calling your dad the second I get off the phone。 It？s over； kid。 You？re never going to see that
diploma。 Yale？ It？s never going to happen。 Big mistake； kid； fucking with me。 Big…time mistake。
And I？m not through with you yet。？
Nate finished drying his hands on his shorts； then grabbed the phone； stabbing at the button that
would erase that message forever。 He stuffed it back in his pocket and studied his face in the
cracked rest…stop mirror。 He had to get the fuck out of there。
Spoken like a man on the run。
the purloined letter
？Hey。 It？s Blair。 I just wanted to call and say； you know； happy birthday。 Sorry we took off。 I？ll
call you later and tell you everything。？
Snapping her telephone shut and tossing it into her bag； Blair leaned back into the warm leather
embrace of her bucket seat and tapped her foot impatiently。 What the fuck was taking so long？ The
sooner they got back on the road； the sooner they would be at theCharlotte； and the sooner she
would be stretched out on the wide wooden deck sunning herself in only her undies； drinking
spiked lemonade and feeding Nate slivers of raw bluepoint oysters with her fingers。That？s how
she planned to spend every minute of the rest of the summer。
Not a bad plan！
She swiveled the rearview mirror to examine her face： her eyes looked bright and clear； her skin
sun…kissed and flawless； her hair flecked with gold。 She grinned at herself。 All the stresses of the
summer just melted away： she？d never gone to London with Lord Marcus； she？d never played
second fiddle to Serena on her movie debut； she？d never seen Nate holding hands with some tacky
Long Island townie。 Everything was just as it should be： her and Nate； in love； forever。
Blair fiddled idly with the stereo； but Nate had the car keys in his pocket； so it wouldn？t play。
Impatiently； she turned the knob on the glove box。 It dropped open to reveal a crisp white
envelope with a name scrawled across it in a familiar hand。
Nate。
？What？s this？？ Blair said aloud。 She picked up the envelope。 Why the fuck was Serena leaving
an envelope for Nate？ Glancing in the direction of the bathroom to confirm that Nate was still
inside； she slid her fingernail under the envelope？s flap。 She unfolded the paper and started to read
Serena？s manic scribble：
？
Nate： I just turned eighteen a couple of hours ago。When the clock struck； I looked around the
room and I couldn？t find you。 I know you were with Blair； and if you？re really happy； then I？m
happy for you。 Because how can you not want someone you love to be happy？ But that？s the thing；
Nate。 。 。 。 I think I love you。 I know that sounds crazy； and there were so many other times I should
have told you； but it didn？t hit me until last night or tonight or whatever； and if I didn？t tell you
now； when would I have？ It？s just？it？s always been you。 Did you ever wonder why I came back
last fall？ Last night； when？
？
Blair stopped reading midsentence； flipping impatiently through the packet； three pages of heavy
writing paper pletely covered with Serena？s too…big looping script。 Her heart pounded in her
chest。 There was no question what to do next。 She looked left and right just to confirm that she
was indeed alone； then slipped out of the car and walked back to the scenic overlook。
Carefully； she tore the first page of the letter in half； then tore that half into quarters； and kept
shredding it until all that remained was a handful of confetti； which she cupped in her palm。 The
warm breeze lifted the scraps of paper out of her hand and sent them showering onto the valley
below。 She did the same with the two other pages and the envelope as well； tearing them into tiny
bits so that Serena？s handwriting was just a jumble of meaningless shapes that the wind lifted and
sent drifting into the valley below。
Blair returned to the car and reached into her bag to retrieve her cell phone。 She studied the
phone momentarily。 Should she call Serena？ Tell her that she knew all about the letter； that she
knew how her supposedly best fucking friend actually felt about her boyfriend？ Or should she just
play innocent； ignore that two…faced bitch and focus on the perfect summer that stretched out
before her？ She suddenly didn？t feel quite so bad about ditching Serena on her birth…day。
No kidding。
？Ready to go？？ Nate slid into the driver？s seat； a boyish grin stretching across his perfect face。
？Ready。？ Blair pulled on her seat belt。
Buckle up？you？re in for a wild ride！
better late than never？
Serena was once again lying in her all…white bed staring at the ceiling； trying to sleep now that
she？d finally admitted how she really felt。 The ceiling was pockmarked where she？d peeled off
dozens of glow…in…the…dark stars just before she left for Europe； and she？d been counting the
remaining stars for the last three hours； ever since she？d slipped the note into the Aston Martin。
She kept losing count and starting again。 And maybe she？d dozed off； or maybe not。 Henry shifted
onto his side； throwing his arm across her chest。 It felt heavy and suffocating。 She？d already been
in this exact place； exactly a year before： in love with Nate； but lying next to Henry。 She？d even
admitted it and gotten it off her chest； so why couldn？t she sleep？
Second thoughts？
She slid out of bed for the second time that morning and slipped into the hallway。 Downstairs a
few people were clanking bottles into the trash and whispering about their headaches。 From the
grandfather clock downstairs she heard that it wasn？t morning anymore at all： it was exactly noon。
She yanked at the long white T…shirt she was wearing。 It said BROWN in capital letters across her
chest and hung below her knees。
She didn？t even know where she was walking until she got there； but she soon found herself in
front of her parents？ closed bedroom door。 She knew that Blair and Nate were inside。 They？d
probably made a fort out of the many oversize pillows on the bed； which Blair had dubbed the
Kissing Cave or something cheesy 。 。 。 or totally adorable if you were in love。Which Nate
was。With Blair。
So what was Serena doing declaring her love for him now？ There were so many other； better
times she could have told him in the last year。 Like when they were nearly naked in a Bergdorf？s
dressing room。 Or when they were kissing in the bathtub at Isabel Coates？s Hamptons house。 Or
when she？d decided not to go back to boarding school and came back to the city instead。 But she
hadn？t。 She hadn？t told him any of those times； mostly because she？d been scared。 That he didn？t
love her back； which he didn？t