chapter 2: Fractured ties

SERENA POV

I should've left when I had the chance.

But I stayed,because a part of me—maybe the masochistic part—didn't want to look weak. Especially not in front of Blair.

I knew why Blair was always such a bitch to me. It wasn't a mystery. It all traced back to Jason—her ex. I didn't steal him, no matter what story she told herself. They had already broken up when I slept with him. But apparently, that didn't matter. Blair convinced herself I had been sneaking around with him even before their breakup, and that was enough for her to hate me.

At first, I had tried to smooth things over, but Blair's bitterness only grew, twisting into something ugly. I ended the fling with Jason, hoping it would calm the storm, but it was too late. Blair had already made up her mind—I was the enemy. And Kaylor? She never made it better. If anything, she fueled it, always siding with Blair and it hurts.

I should've cut them off completely, but Tianah was different. She was the glue that kept us tied together. And tonight—because it was her bridal shower meeting—I was forcing myself to be in the same room as the person who despised me most.

I folded my arms, shifting in my seat as I listened to the endless bickering over centerpieces. Kaylor and Blair sat across from me, giggling and laughing at God know what.

"I just think roses are so… expected," Blair said, tapping the screen of her phonewith her perfectly polished nail. "We should do something different. Something elegant."

Kaylor nodded. "Yeah, white roses are nice, but everyone uses them. How about orchids?"

Tianah sighed, rubbing her temples. "Orchids are nice, but they wilt too fast. I don't want them looking droopy before the night's even halfway over."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Then hydrangeas?"

I stared at my untouched glass of wine, knowing better than to insert myself into the conversation. It wouldn't matter what I suggested; Blair would find a way to shoot it down. That was how it always was.

Unfortunately, my silence didn't grant me invisibility.

Blair leaned back against the couch, her gaze drifting toward me with the kind of smirk that made my stomach tighten. "What do you think, Serena?"

I glanced up warily. "About what?"

"About the flowers. Or are you too busy reminiscing about all the boyfriends you've stolen to contribute?"

The words hit like a slap, even though I should've been used to them by now. My fingers curled around the stem of my wine glass, but I didn't take a sip. I knew Blair wanted a reaction—thrived on it, actually.

"Jason wasn't your boyfriend when I slept with him," I said evenly. "You two had already broken up."

Kaylor snorted. "Right. And that makes it better?"

I turned my gaze to her. "It means I didn't steal him."

Blair let out a sharp laugh. "Sure, keep telling yourself that." She set her phone down and leaned forward, her expression unreadable. "Tell me something, Serena. If I slept with one of your exes, would you be cool with it? Would you just shrug it off and say, 'Oh well, we weren't together anymore, so no big deal'?"

I hesitated, and she pounced.

"Exactly." She crossed her legs, looking smug. "You don't like it because you know it's wrong. You don't sleep with your friends' exes. It's girl code."

I clenched my jaw. "We weren't that close when it happened".

Blair's eyes darkened. "Oh, but we were."

That was the real wound, wasn't it? The fact that we had once been close. That there had been a time when she trusted me, confided in me, and I had shattered that trust in the worst way possible.

Tianah shifted uncomfortably, her gaze bouncing between us. "Can we not do this tonight?"

Blair ignored her. "You know, Jason told me something interesting."

I stiffened. "Oh?"

She tilted her head, watching me like a predator toying with its prey. "He said you used to flirt with him even before we broke up."

I let out a sharp breath. "That's not true."

"He said you'd laugh a little too hard at his jokes. That you'd always find excuses to be near him."

I shook my head. "I didn't flirt with him, Blair. He's lying."

Blair's lip curled. "Of course, you'd say that."

Kaylor sighed dramatically. "Look, does it really matter now? Jason's long gone. The damage is done. We all know Serena's never been great at keeping her legs closed—"

I slammed my glass onto the table. "Watch your mouth, Kaylor."

She smirked, unfazed. "Just saying."

Tianah exhaled. "Guys, please. We're supposed to be planning my bridal shower, not tearing each other apart."

Blair leaned back, stretching her arms over the back of the couch. "Hey, I'm just stating facts."

I turned to Tianah, my voice tight. "I don't know why you keep inviting me to these things if this is what it's always going to turn into."

Tianah gave me a pleading look. "Because you're my friend. And I want you here."

Blair snorted. "Some friend. Pretty sure Serena would sleep with Oliver if she got the chance."

My stomach twisted. "That's disgusting. Don't even joke about that."

Blair shrugged. "Not a joke. Just saying, history has a way of repeating itself."

I pushed back from the table. "I'm done with this.

Tianah grabbed my wrist before I could leave. "Serena, don't."

I looked at her, my anger cooling just slightly. I hated that she had to deal with this. Hated that Blair and Kaylor were ruining her night just as much as they were ruining mine.

Taking a deep breath, I sat back down. "Fine. But I'm not going to sit here and let Blair throw accusations at me all night."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "You don't like being called out? That's new."

Kaylor chuckled, sipping her drink. "I don't know, Blair. Maybe she's actually changed."

Blair smirked. "Doubt it."

I forced myself to stay calm. "I made a mistake. A long time ago. And I apologized. Not that either of you cared."

Blair's gaze flickered. For a second, something unreadable passed over her face, but then she looked away.

Tianah sighed. "Can we just move on? Please?"

A tense silence stretched between us before Blair finally scoffed, picking up her phone again. "Whatever. Let's just pick the damn flowers."

Kaylor scrolled through her phone, then nudged Blair. "What about a floral arch? It could frame the dance floor."

Blair leaned in, considering it. "Maybe. Depends on the budget. Wouldn't want to ask too much of Tianah, since her fiancé probably spent all his money on that ring."

Tianah tensed. "Oliver and I have a budget, Blair. And we're sticking to it."

Blair smirked. "I'm just saying, the diamond's big. Hope it came with loyalty."

The air in the room thickened.

Tianah stiffened beside me, but it was Kaylor who chuckled under her breath. "Relax, Tianah. She's only teasing."

But was she?

My grip on my glass tightened. "That's a pretty heavy insinuation."

Blair's gaze flicked toward me, sharp and calculating. "I thought you didn't want to be part of the conversation."

I held her stare. "I don't. But I also don't like watching you throw low blows disguised as jokes."

She laughed, leaning back with an easy arrogance. "God, you're sensitive."

"No," I said, my voice steady. "I just know what it's like to be accused of something".

Blair's expression darkened, and for a second, I saw something raw flicker across her face—pain? Resentment? Whatever it was, she buried it quickly.

"You really want to play the victim here?" she said, her tone soft but laced with steel. "Fine. Let's go there again ."

I should've backed down. I should've let it go.

But I didn't, I wanted her to forgive me so we just move past it and go back to being friends.

Because the truth was, a part of me

Missed her. I just want to stop pretending that I was okay with the distance she gave me.

Blair sat forward, her gaze locked on mine. "Do you even feel bad, Serena? Not just because you got caught, but because you ruined something?"

I swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to."

Her eyes flashed. "I loved Jason. Did you know that?"

I hesitated. "You never said it, you called him a side thing."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, so because I didn't say the words, my feelings weren't real? You never even asked me how I felt about him. You just assumed."

A lump formed in my throat.

Kaylor, who had been watching in silence, shook her head. "It wasn't just Jason. It was the way you moved, Serena. You always acted like people were disposable. Like you could just take whatever you wanted and walk away without consequences."

I flinched.

Blair's voice softened, but the edge remained. "Do you know what it felt like to hear people whisper about us? About how my so-called friend was in my ex's bed? Do you know how humiliating that was for me?"

Guilt pressed against my ribs, suffocating.

"I never wanted to hurt you," I said quietly.

Blair scoffed. "Well, you did."

Silence fell between us, thick with things left unsaid.

Tianah, who had been quiet for too long, finally spoke. "You're both hurting." She looked between us, her voice almost pleading. "And I get it. But we're supposed to be here for something good. Can we not keep tearing each other apart?

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I'm not trying to fight. But Blair, you act like I planned to hurt you."

"Didn't you?" she challenged.

"No," I said firmly. "I was stupid. I was a grieving selfish person , I lost my mom and when he came to visit it just happened I didn't do it to spite you."

Blair's jaw clenched. "Then why did you do it if not to spite me?". 

I hesitated. How could I explain that it hadn't been about her at all? That, at the time, I had been lonely, reckless—craving something to make me feel wanted?

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice quieter now. "I wasn't thinking about you. And that's the problem, isn't it? That I didn't think about how it would affect you."

Her expression wavered, just slightly.

Kaylor sighed. "It's a little late for this, don't you think?"

Blair looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head. "Maybe.

But I heard what she didn't say. Maybe, but it still hurts.

Tianah cleared her throat, sensing the shift in energy. "So, about those flowers…"

The tension lingered, but for the first time in years, it felt like there was room to breathe. Maybe this wasn't closure. Maybe we'd never have that.

But for tonight, it was enough.