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。 He loved Blair。
She backed away from the heavy wooden door that led to her parents？ master bedroom suite and
toward the stairs where Nate had told Blair he loved her just last night。 So why had she suddenly
declaredher love for Nate； now； at the very worst possible time？
？Hey； you？re the birthday girl。？ A guy she？d never seen before looked up at her from the bottom
of the staircase。 His shaggy brown hair was piled on top of his head in a messy bun。 ？Selima；
right？？
？Serena；？ she told him。
？Right； so like； do you think you can give me a ride to the train station？？ He reached under his
sweat…stained and moth…eaten polo to scratch his belly； revealing a sliver of hairy stomach。
Ew。
Serena took a step down the stairs； letting her hand glide over the dark wooden banister。 ？I？m
sure people will start getting up soon。 Someone will drive you。？
？Cool。？ He stretched his arms up high； yawning loudly； and headed back into the living room；
where people were still sprawled out on every soft surface。 She heard someone mutter ？Duuuuude；？
as he collapsed onto the antique but…toned…leather couch。
Serena swept through the marble foyer to the door and lingered for a moment； hand on the
doorknob； before she pulled the door open and stepped outside。 The front of the house was well
shaded and cool； and she wrapped her arms around her body protectively as she scanned the
driveway。
She wasn？t sure if she was having second thoughts； or not； or if she wanted to sneak back to that
car and take back the envelope she？d left inside。 But the decision had been made for her。 The
Aston Martin was nowhere in sight。 Nate？ and presumably Blair？were gone。
And they？d taken some very juicy reading material along with them。
sailing off into the sunset
Blair knelt in the bucket seat of the car as Nate slowed the Aston Martin to a stop in front of the
whitewashed Newport Yacht Club。 The harbor glimmered in the midday sun。 Blair breathed in the
warm； salty seaside air。 She kept shaking her head； letting her windblown locks swing around her
shoulders； which she hoped looked sexy。 In truth； she was just trying to shake the thought of
Serena？s letter from her mind。 Seriously； what the fuck？
？I can？t believe we？re actually here。？ Nate？s voice startled her back to attention。 Despite having
driven for hundreds of miles just to get there； Nate didn？t seem all that eager to get out of the car。
He？d undone his seat belt and was just sitting there； staring out of the car？s tiny windshield at the
forest of masts in the harbor。
？What？s wrong？？ Blair opened the door and hopped up and down； getting the blood in her legs
flowing again。
？What？ Oh； nothing。？ Nate looked startled。
Blair settled her fists on her hips。 Her blousy cotton voile shirt fluttered in the wind。 ？Are you
sure everything？s okay？ You look kind of 。 。 。 distracted。？
？No； no； everything？s fine。？ Nate stood and slammed his door shut behind him。 ？We？ll have to
do something about the car； I guess。？ He frowned。
Blair adjusted her bag and perched on the still…warm hood of the hunter…green Aston。 Nate
looked more than distracted。 He looked like he was going to throw up。 Was there any chance he
knew about the letter？ Or could Serena have called him while he was in the restroom？ Was that
why he？d taken so long？ Blair fidgeted impatiently。What was the holdup？ ？Nate； is there anything
you want to tell me？？
？What？ No；？ Nate answered； stuffing the keys in his pocket。 ？We？re really doing this； right？？
？We？re really doing this！？ Leaving her bag on the hood of the car； Blair scurried around to where
Nate stood and threw herself into his arms。 A white seagull swooped down onto the parking
lot。 ？You seem worried。？
？No； I？m not。 I？m just 。 。 。 thinking is all。？
Don？t hurt yourself。
Inhaling Nate？s delicious scent？his deodorant； a hint of the lavender soap from Serena？s parents？
master bathroom； the ocean smell that had somehow already made it into his shirt？Blair closed her
eyes。 ？Don？t worry； Natie。 It？s summer。 And we？re together。That？s all that matters； isn？t it？？
Nate pulled away just far enough to look at her face。 She smiled up at him； hoping for a moment
that they？d get ship…wrecked somewhere and that they？d never have to see Serena again。 They？d
live in a bamboo hut； forage for food； and be naked all the time。 Who needed clothes when they
had each other？
She must be out of her mind。
？You？re right。 Fuck it。 Fuck everything and everyone else。？ Then he bent down and pressed his
delicious mouth to hers。 ？Let？s get out of here。？
Be sure to send a postcard。
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
You know what？s totally lame？ Happy endings。 Seriously。 Like when I？m at the movies and see
some plucky； determined girl finally land her leading man？whom I knew for the past two hours
she？d end up with anyway？I just want to claw her eyes out。 Real life is actually terribly messy and
plicated and nothing ever justends。 。 。 。 I mean really； if you？ll allow me get all philosophical
about it for a minute； every ending is really just another beginning； isn？t it？ Okay； I？ll shut up
now。A NOVEL BY Cecily von Ziegesar
So whileB andN may be sailing off into the sunset； something tells me this story is far from over。
Especially when there are so many questions waiting to be answered。 Like：
WillB tellN about the letter from S？ WillS findN and tell him on her own？ WillB throw her
overboard if she does？
WillD really make out with another boy？ Again。 Will they go even further？！
WillV really cheer him on if he does？
And realistically how long can those two stay roommates and not bed…mates？ Maybe he？s bi
after all。
Then of course there？s the biggest question of all： Who amI ？ I know you guys are totally
jonesing for more dirt on me； so here？s an interesting tidbit about yours truly （Don？t say I never
give you anything！）： I just can？t keep a secret。 I mean； except for the secret of who I am； of course。
But secrets like the oneS has been keeping all these years？ Hats off to her！ I can understand
fooling your friends and even your family； but if you can manage to keep me in the dark； well；
bravo！ So what else is she hiding？ I have a feeling there？s a lot more to be discovered here。 。 。 。
I know you？re dying for answers。 Well； me too。 And you know I always get what I want。
You know you love me。
gossip girl
Once upon a time on the Upper East Side of New York City；
two beautiful girls fell in love with one perfect boy。。。。
Turn the page for a sneak peek of
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ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
==================================
it had to be you
the gossip girl prequel
and find out how it all began。
by the #1New York Times bestselling author
Cecily von Ziegesar
twisted minds think alike
？Ouch； shit；？ muttered Dan Humphrey； burning his tongue on his tap…water…and…Folgers…crystals
excuse for a cup of coffee。
Ever heard of Starbucks； dude？
Dan stuck a slightly bent Camel in his mouth and tried to simultaneously take a drag from it
while blowing to cool his coffee； which was totally impossible。 Coffee splashed out of the lumpy；
eggplant…colored ceramic mug his mother had made years ago； before she？d moved to Hungary or
the Czech Republic or wherever the hell she lived； and onto the dusty yellow linoleum floor。 He
was definitely not a morning person。
Dan deposited the sad cup on a semicluttered part of the old Formica kitchen counter and padded
over to the beige ？70s refrigerator； hoping against hope that he could scrounge up something
edible to eat on his way downtown in the sub…way。 He only had twenty minutes to get to his job？a
dream gig at the Strand； the storied； sprawling used bookstore in Greenwich Village？and if he
didn？t eat now； by the time his lunch break rolled around； he？d be half…dead from
malnourishment。
Holding his breath to avoid exposure to any unfortunate smells； he wedged his head inside the
large； rumbling appliance and surveyed the scene： an ancient CorningWare coffee pot filled with
some concoction covered with fuzzy green mold； a white ceramic bowl overflowing with
unidentifiable vegetable remains； a clear plastic case containing hard…boiled eggs that his sister；
Jenny； had drawn little faces on before she left for Europe more than a month ago。 It wasn？t pretty。
？Don？t bother；？ muttered a voice behind him。 ？I looked last night。 There？s nothing even
remotely close to edible in there。？
He closed the refrigerator and smiled weakly at Vanessa Abrams； whose status had evolved from
best friend to girl…friend to roommate。 After many ups and downs？all of which involved Dan？s
horny； wandering eye？they？d decided they were better off as friends who slept in separate beds； in
separate rooms。 It just so happened that those rooms were in the same apartment； because Vanessa
had been rendered homeless by her newly Czechoslovak…boyfriended totally selfish bitchface of a
sister。
？Yeah； this sucks。？ Dan dropped his cigarette into the sink； where it went out with a hiss。 ？I？m so
hungry。？
？Mmmm；？ Vanessa grunted； microwaving some water in a Pyrex measuring cup； the only clean
vessel she could find。 She spilled Folgers on the floor while trying to spoon it into the cup。 She
wasn？t much of a morning person either。
A match made in heaven。
She hoisted herself onto the cluttered kitchen counter； her pale； prickly legs sticking out from a
pair of Dan？s tattered navy blue boxer shorts。 It was bizarre to see her still wearing something of
his； something sointimately his； when they weren？t together anymore。 It made him 。 。 。 sad。
Every night for the last week； Dan had lain awake in bed； wondering what Vanessa was doing in
the