York was like pulling a gigantic Band…Aid off her whole fucking life； exposing the raw； oozing parts of her past that hadn’t healed。
Pete kept his gaze on Blair。 “Help me understand；” he said slowly。
Blair looked from the flat…screen television mounted against the wall to the black and granite wet bar in the next room。 She usually loved hotels； but now everything seemed too sterile； too anonymous。 She wished they were back in their cluttered New Haven rental。
Blair kicked off one Sigerson Morrison pump； then the other； and folded her legs under her on the bed。 She had to tell him。 He’d met her weird mom and her gross； fat stepfather。 He’d spent hours taking pictures of Blair and her toddler sister； Yale； playing in the pool in the backyard of her family’s Pacific Palisades home。 He knew her。
Blair took a deep breath。 “I saw my ex。 Making out with my best friend。 And we’re not together anymore； obviously。” Blair mustered a weak laugh that came out like a bark。 “But it was still weird… hard； I guess；” she added。
A cloud had passed over Pete’s usually open face。
“Do I know who this ex is？” Pete asked； taking his hand off hers。
“It’s Nate。 It was Nate and Serena。” Blair said simply。 She’d talked about Nate only in vague terms； usually in reference to a story from when they were kids。 Before things got so plicated。
“Nate；” Pete repeated。 “The one you used to go to the zoo with。”
Blair nodded； trying to figure out what she should say next； but all she could do was think about meandering lazily through the Central Park Zoo with Nate。 He’d liked the penguins； she’d liked the polar bears。 That is； until Serena decided she liked the polar bears more。 Serena used to stand in front of the habitat talking to them； as