"This is a joke, right?" I quake taking a step away from him. "There is no way that it is you." All he does is slowly nod his head, ashamed. "No."
"No?" Dan questions.
"Gossip Girl has ruined everything good in my life, you included. There is no way." I take yet another step away from him. "Dan? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"It's true." He began. "I was in love with Serena for such a long time, since we were kids, and I wanted to be someone to her. So, I wrote myself into her world."
"Dan. It was really you that whole time? You were the one that made Serena hate me, the one who released the information about Nate, the one who has terrorized everyone for the last couple of years?"
"Look, I felt alone and all I wanted was to be apart of your world. I wanted to be one of you, I wanted to be with Serena."
My heart drops to the floor. "You created a gossip website to reveal everyone deepest and darkest secrets so that you could date Serena?" Dan tries to respond, but I quickly interrupt. "Do you still love her?"
"It was back then, but now I am with you. I don't need to be with her anymore, I love you." He added making another effort to hold my hands.
"Dan, who did you call?" He looked at me confused. "Who did you call first when you got into the hospital? Who do you call when everything has fallen apart? Who is the person that you can always see by your side?"
Dan shrinks back and gulps. "Serena."
I feel the tears begin to stream down my face, and realize what I have to do in order for him to be happy. "Dan, I love you, but I can't commit to you if you still love her. So, go and get her, before your chance is up." He looks up at me, and I give him a small smile. "If you love her, don't let her get away."
"Thank you Celia." I pull him in for a hug, wanting to reinsure his feelings. "I am so sorry for doing this to you, I want for you to be happy."
"I will be happy if you are happy, Dan." I confess and give him one last peck on the cheek. "Plus its better to know now than in 5 years when we are married."
Dan smiles at me and turns to take off. "You really are amazing Celia, I hope that you find someone that will realize that."
I give him a faint smile as I realize tears are starting to fall down my cheeks. "Go get your girl."
He rushes out of the park, leaving the destruction of our relationship for me to clean up. After reading the letter I knew it was over, their relationship was a cliché, the popular girl with the loner, an always existing love that no one could get in the way of, myself included. They deserve each other, and no matter how much they hurt others trying to discover this, they crave to be in each others arms.
Pulling out my cellphone I see a call request pop up on my screen, I click the green button and Nate's voice fills my ear.
"Celia? Are you alright? I haven't heard from you." Nate gulped.
"I am in the park, don't worry I am fine." I reassure, and I hear him take a sigh of relief. "Hey, do you know if Serena is still at the party?"
Nate pauses for a second. "She actually just left, saying she needed to meet up with someone. Why?"
I then take a breath, Serena is with Dan right now. He is telling her that he still loves her, and she is probably confessing her feelings for him too.
"Celia?" He asks, concerned. "Where's Dan?"
I feel the emotions rush over me once more, and everything I held back from Dan let go. "We broke up, Nate." He takes a breath. "He loves Serena, Serena loves him, and they are going to get married and have babies, and read the paper together, and...."
"Celia....."The tears start to fall once more as the realization crashes over me. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Using any strength I have left inside of me, I stand up from the bench and turn to where I first entered. "Do you want to meet up? I really just need to forget about what is going on right now."
"I'm on my way, meet me at our spot."
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After escaping from the safety of my town car, I see the bright sign of the bar I had not been inside of since high school. The ROX was a bit of an underground bar, not very many people know where it is or even care to know as it is considered to be "Brooklyn territory". The outer section was completely made of brick, mixing in with the hipster vide of the Brooklyn neighborhood. Whenever things would get too rocky, Nate and I would meet her, away from the prying eyes of our peers. It was small and cozy, something Nate or I had not experienced before. Entering the bar, I felt at home with the slight stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol. No one was inside the bar except for Nate and the bartender, both at the bar in deep conversation.
"Hey Carl, how are you?" I ask sliding down into the seat next to Nate. "It has been a while since I have seen you."
Carl was the regular bartender ROX, and knew Nate and I quite well. He and his wife Jess had owned the bar since they got married 7 years ago, wanting to hold onto some of their hipster roots before having children. Jess usually waitressed until their son Fred was born when she cut her hours in honor of spending time with her son.
"It has Celia, it is nice to see you two together again." Nodding in agreement, Carl starts up my usual Vodka cranberry. "Are you two hungry? I have got some pretzels in back."
"We are alright but thank you." Nate answers and turns to me. "We were actually just hoping to talk, I have a lot to catch up on."
Carl nods and sets down my drink. "Alright, if you two need anything I will be in the back." He slips behind the bar into the kitchen, leaving Nate and I alone.
"So, catch me up." Nate says taking a sip of his scotch.
I spend the next couple of minutes explaining the events that transpired after I left the party, not leaving out a single detail. Nate draws in every word I say, never taking his off eyes off me. He waits till I finish before talking, not wanting to interrupt my outpour.
"I am so sorry Celia. You don't deserve that, you deserve so much more than that."
"Thank you Nate. I just want for him to be happy, and if that's when he is with Serena, I don't want to get in his way." Nate nods in agreement. "I just wish he didn't have to do it after he told me we could run away together."
Nate's eyebrows raise, "That is what you two were supposed to be doing? He really is awful, no one should promise the world to someone then run away with some other girl."
"I just want to forget this night ever happened." I say downing the rest of my drink. "Thinking about what they are doing right now makes me feel even worse."
Nate lifts his glass into the air and gives me a look. "Then let's forget it ever happened."
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First off, I am so sorry that this took so long to write but things have been rather busy and I haven't had the chance to sit down and write. But now that I have gotten back into the swing of things, I am sorry to say that within the next few chapters I will be wrapping up the story. Its sad for me to think about but I know that it is time I give Celia her own happy ending.
Thank you all so much for reading! It makes my day to know that you guys are reading this story. Make sure to like and comment what you think should happen in the next couple of chapters.
XO M