A Million Love Songs Later

A/N: Serenate fans your day has come. If you were wondering if there was going to be any in this story then this is the chapter for it. But for Chuck and Blair fans I'm depriving you of loads of Chuck and Blair scenes, there's only two. But this is mainly a recap and to give you some answers. This is all about the past and I hope to fill you in on some mysteries. So I hope it's okay and that you enjoy it. Please comment. Thank you xoxo


Chapter 16: Things that kept them apart


        The east coast was looking rather glum. Nothing had happened in the last two days that Chuck had crossed boundaries and had kissed Blair. He wasn't bothered, she seemed to enjoy it. However he thought leave it to Blair to get in touch with him. He didn't want to push her. It would be easier for her to come to him.
But over on the west side things were at the opposite end of the scale. Things could be going better for Nate, and of course golden girl.
But little did Serena know Nathaniel was about to drop a bombshell on her.
        Nate and Serena had been out for the evening. They had spent the whole day together. Both were off work so it seemed like the best thing to do at the time. Anything was better than spending a day alone just going over work or doing another pointless photo shoot of the same thing she did a day ago. Serena was growing tired of the modelling by now. She had spent years wishing to make it and now that she had the past three years had been great being a universal name. But these days she was all for just having fun with her old friends, shopping with Blair without the paparazzi, having lazy days in front of the TV watching 90210. That is what she wanted but no such luck. If only some handsome prince could and rescue her from her current situation, because if she was honest with herself that's what she wanted. If Serena thought about it the tables had turned, Serena envied Blair and she swore to herself that is one thing she would never be, but there was no point denying it.
Serena envied Blair's life.
        They arrived back at Serena's Beverley Hills home on the hills in the early hours of that Tuesday morning. It must have been around two but none of them could really tell they were that hammered.
Both of them hoped and drunkenly waltzed into the living room with a magnificent view of the valley. Nate fell back onto the couch followed rapidly by Serena.
She lay her light headed head against his shoulder when she was about to drift off Nate suddenly became over riddled with guilt. He could not hold it in he had hid this lie from Blair now he had a few vodka's and Martini's inside of him. It was about to be revealed. Maybe not the wisest decision to pick Serena.
“Serena I did something”
Nate said blinking like a maniac trying to make some sense.
“What?”
Serena murmured trying to keep her eyes open.
“It was Blair's birthday, two years ago”
“And...”
“We'd just moved in together. She was out and the mail came and there was a delivery for her, from Manhattan and...”
Serena cut across Nate with a stupid, drunken comment.
“Was it from me?”
Serena laughed hysterically. Nate chuckled and took a sip from his Martini that had been left on the coffee table.
“No Serena.” The smile soon left his face and he became all serious again. “It was Chuck”
“Chuck? I thought they hadn't seen eachother”
Serena took the Martini from Nate's hand and drank the last of it while looking seemingly very confused.
“Yeah me too. So I... I knew it was from him. There was a card and...”
She interrupted him again.
“What did it say?”
She gazed into his blood shot eyes.
“I can't remember but it was somewhere in the region of come back to New York and be with me”
“Wait you opened it??”
Serena's jaw dropped and placed her hand over her mouth in disbelief.
“Yes”
He tried to take the glass away from her but to his dismay it was empty.
“Nate!!”
She slapped him on the arm.
“I had too. I needed to know if she was cheating again”
“But she wasn't”
“No. So I took the gift he sent her and the card and I threw them away”
He bowed his head in shame and mumbled the last words.
“Oh my God. Didn't think you had it in you. Hasn't Chuck said anything?”
Serena's jaw opened even more, this wasn't the Nate she used to know.
“He doesn't know does he! He just thinks Blair's ignoring it.” Serena said nothing in response. She shook her head not approving of this new Nate that was devious, selfish and who lied. “But if she would have gotten that. She would have gone back to him”
Nate tried to convince himself and Serena. But there was no convincing Serena she remained speechless. Nate didn't know if it was the alcohol or his sudden confession that had done it. Whatever it was she didn't say another word that whole evening.
        After a while Nate went into the kitchen to try and figure out where Serena kept her snacks. For a model she wasn't really weight conscious. That was the great thing about Serena, she was a free spirit. She did her own thing. That is what made Serena the girl of his dreams all those years ago.
No wonder what happened, happened.
            Seven years earlier.
Palm Springs, California.
Serena was in California to try and get over her break up with Dan. Things just were not working. She had been travelling and Dan was at Yale and Serena was about to start collage at Brown. Nothing would work.
The same for Nate. He had decided to take a break from the city. He and Vanessa were not getting along. He thought it was the beginning of the end. So a break from New York was what he needed.
        Serena had decided to take a shopping trip to make herself feel better down on Rodeo drive when she bumped into a familiar face.
“Nate!?”
“Serena!”
He grinned and looked confused at the same time.
“What are you doing in Beverly Hills?”
“I just needed to get out of New York. Spend a few days in the 90210”
“Nice...”
There was an awkward silence between them before Serena broke the silence.
“Are you busy tonight?”
He grinned and knew he better scrap his diary for the next few days because now he had met up with Serena. It was going to be a fun filled few days.
        They had been partying all night. Martini's at the bar and dancing on the dance floor. Living the life a young adult should. However when they arrived back at Serena's hotel things got a little crazier.
Nate was trying to escape the room but Serena kept pulling down on his sleeve.
“Nate. Sit down”
“I need to go call Vanessa”
She kept on pulling.
“No!! Stay with me Nate”
“Serena. You need to go to bed”
“No!!”
“Serena!”
“No!!”
“Stop staying no”
She paused and widened her big blue eyes then replied.
“No!” Nate walked away leaving her lying on the couch. “No come back Nate. I'm sorry. I'll stop annoying you now. Am I annoying you?”
“Yes, you are”
He grinned into her dozy eyes.
“You love me really”
“Too bad that I do”
They both giggled but it was a giggle of happiness and how glad they were to be in each other's company. There was no where either of them would rather be at that moment, and even though she had only just broken up with who she thought was her soul mate Dan was about to become history.
She kissed him. As soon as Serena did it her eyes grew again thinking 'what the hell have I done?'. Nate just sat looking at her before surprisingly kissing her back.
Serena grabbed around his neck and kissed him viciously again, his hands swept through her golden hair and it was just a deja vu to four years earlier. The first time they hooked up and now it was about to happen again.
Serena jumped into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his hips and never let go of him until he dropped her on the purple, silk covers of Serena's king bed. It was there their night began.
        It was late afternoon when they finally woke. Serena had her arms wrapped around Nate's chest and lay her head against him at the same time.
Nate finally woke as the sunshine shun onto his face.
“Serena?”
“Nate”
She rubbed her eyes and placed her hand above her eyes to keep it away from the sun light.
“What happened?”
Nate asked.
“You need me to draw you a diagram”
She sighed.
“I need to go back to New York. Vanessa”
“Dan is going to kill me”
“But you broke up”
“Yeah twenty hours ago”
“I can't believe I hooked up with you again”
She got up and began to get dressed.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence”
“I didn't mean it like that”
Serena giggled and threw Nate his shirt from across the room. “I know... It was kinda fun though”
“Don't make me laugh. We shouldn't be laughing”
Nate tried to keep the smile off his face.
“I know, we're bad”
Serena jokingly chuckled while getting dressed.
“Stop it!”
Nate pointed at her as she bit her lip to try and stop the laughing.
“Sorry...”
The continued to laugh. It was fun their night of passion it wasn't meant to hurt anyone but of course that is all it did.
_ _ _
        Present Time.
Meanwhile back on the East Side.
Blair had decided to face facts. She had kissed Chuck Bass. God the thought of cheating made her cringe. She had done it once and she had done it again. It was an awful feeling. But she had decided to go check with Chuck whether it was real or was it just another one of her dreams.
She knocked anxiously at the door. Chuck answered after the first knock.
“Back for more. Blair you surprise me”
He grinned.
“What the hell happened last night?”
“You don't remember?”
“I remember, I just need to make sure it wasn't a dream”
“That good was it?”
He jokingly said he could see how much it was torturing Blair.
“Shut up!”
Blair frowned and pushed her way into his apartment. She was used to doing that by now, she didn't realise she was doing it. “Nate is going to kill me”
“You're telling him? Wow”
Chuck just was not taking this conversation seriously.
“Of course I am. We don't lie to eachother”
“Okay whatever you say”
He said taking a sip of his whiskey.
“I do say”
“Okay”
Chuck nodded.
“Okay... Bye then”
Blair didn't seem to realise that she was in Chuck's apartment.
“This is my apartment”
“Oh right, sorry. Bye then”
She got up and left quickly. She was like a nervous teenager around Chuck and he could tell just what she was feeling.
“Yeah bye”
“Oh and when you tell Nate remember to tell him about the charity event next week. Your still invited”
“You think he's going to go”
“Well if you decide not to tell him”
He knew Blair so well. But she got her head together and answered him.
“Goodbye Charles”
He waved and chuckled as she left in the wrong direction then turning back and going the right way smiling as she went. She was just like a little girl in love.
_ _ _
        Three days later.
Nate had arrived back in New York. It was Friday night. It had been a long flight so Nate had just crashed out straight onto the couch, not even getting a chance to taste the wonderful dinner Blair had made for him.
But it didn't matter. Blair had enough to worry about.
She kissed him on the cheek and placed a blanket over him before the phone rang. She grabbed it quickly so as not to wake Nate. She noticed the phone number. Who it was.
“What the hell do you want?”
“Just checking if you're still coming next week”
Blair frowned.
“How do you know I haven't...”
“I know you better than I know myself... I'll put you down on the list”
Blair hung up. But it must have been true, Chuck did know her better than anyone he could just tell that she was not going to tell Nate a thing. Her lies continued.
However Blair didn't know that Nate had his very own secret, and if Blair were to find out there would be hell to pay.

TO BE CONTINUED...


A/N: I know most you might want to kill Nate or just feel I have made him out to be the biggest asshole in history but I need him to be the jealous guy! And that some of you may be annoyed that Blair is lying to him about Chuck but it has to happen for the storyline. So hopefully you get my point of view. Thanks for reading. Comments are loved. Thank you xoxo