Chapter twenty two.

'What was that last night?'

Blair bit her lip, 'You mean with Dean?' She asked hopefully.

Hailey raised an eyebrow at her friend.

They were sitting cross legged on Hailey's bed solemnly. The sun was starting to rise on the morning and Blair was dreading this talk. After last night though she knew it was coming. Cade had ruined everything.

'I mean with Cade,' she demanded losing patience. 'With him getting hammered at the party last night.'

'I didn't do that to him,' Blair pointed out obviously.

'Yes but maybe you can shed some light on what he was going on about last night when we tried to put him to bed.'

Blair sighed, here it was. She recalled the hazy moment when Cade demanded Blair stay with him. Sleep in his bed for the night because he 'didn't feel well'. Of course he had to do all this tantrum antics with Hailey in the room. Naturally Hailey was a little confused telling Cade to cop on and go to sleep.

'Fuck off Hailey, Blair and I have been doing this for ages now.'

Blair stared at him open mouthed with a sense of horror, 'he's drunk.'

'Oops,' Cade started giggling as he rolled around in bed. 'That was a secret.'

'Go to sleep Cade,' Blair could have murdered him right then and there.

...

The next morning Blair knew the gig was up. If Hailey was suspicious earlier, last night just topped the cake.

'Ok, I have to tell you something big.'

Hailey frowned, 'I'm listening...'

'A few weeks ago, at a party Cade and I kissed.'

Blair blurted it out quickly hoping it was like ripping off a band aid. She searched Hailey's face for any sign of emotion or recognition, she got nothing so she continued on with the story.

'I was really drunk and I know that's not an excuse. If you asked me why, I still couldn't tell you.' She confessed frowning, 'Anyway I tried to stay out of his way from then on, I avoided him like the plague. You remember those few weeks I even moved back home?'

Hailey frowned in recognition, 'Of course I do! Blair I can't believe this was why!'

'I pretty much ignored him for ages, and then it happened again...'

Hailey looked a little grossed out and Blair couldn't blame her.

'We slept together a few times and it became kind of a thing,' Blair continued hoping to get everything out of her system before Hailey vomited with disgust. 'We were friends with benefits to a certain extent, he was still rude to me in public, I still hated his guts. I still do Hails, I hate him,' Blair rolled her eyes. 'But for some reason we have this kind of attraction to each other...'

'I think I've heard enough,' Hailey stood up with her hands raised in defense. 'Blair I don't even know where to start. How about with the fact you have lied to me the past few months? Or the fact you have been hooking up with my cousin behind my back, in my house?'

Blair winced at her words, she was extremely angry.

'What really pisses me off though is the fact you've clearly fallen for someone and haven't even bothered to tell your best friend about it,' she sat down on the bed again her shoulders hunched. 'I can't believe you lost your virginity to him and didn't even want to tell me. I knew that would have been huge for you.'

Blair was really hoping she wasn't about to start crying.

'Oh no, Hails no one has fallen for anyone! Believe me it was just a physical thing.'

'I'm not sure that's true. But if that's what you're telling each other... ok,' Hailey shook her head in wonder. 'Jesus Blair, Cade of all people? All those times you bitched and moaned about him to me... Was it a front?'

'Absolutely not,' Blair shook her head firmly. 'We really don't get along.'

'Yet you can put aside your hatred for him to screw him?'

Blair bit her lip, the words were harsh but true. She nodded.

'You need to sort your shit out B,' Hailey sighed. 'I'm still mad with you for lying to me. But I can tell you're unhappy lately. So you need to either work it out with Cade and have that talk with him about what you're doing and lay some boundaries... Or you need to let him go and move on.'

Blair thought about her words carefully, she was right. She either had to lay down some rules with Cade about not sleeping or seeing any other people, or she had to stop seeing him for real. Because even though it pained her to admit it, seeing him with other girls bothered her. However she highly doubted an exclusive relationship was something Cade wanted. And she wasn't so sure that was what she wanted either, maybe she was just a jealous person in general?

'I'm sorry Hails, I hated keeping this from you.'

'So why did you?'

'I didn't think you'd approve, and to be honest I was a bit ashamed,' Blair confessed.

'But why?' Hailey pressed. 'As much as we bicker, Cade is a decent guy. He's good looking, talented, smart and can be nice when he wants to be...'

Blair shrugged, 'He didn't want anyone to know about me, I don't think he respects me.' She couldn't believe she was finally admitting out loud what she had been avoiding in her head. 'And why should he? I slept with him the first chance I got...'

The two hesitant friends sat in silence. Neither one of them were going to admit out loud the possibility that it was true.

'Plus he's also possibly hooking up with Lacy of all people!'

Hailey frowned, 'Oh yeah I forgot about all that.' Hailey shrugged her shoulders at her friend sadly, 'I'm still mad at you but I forgive you.'

'That's a good start,' Blair hid a small smile.

...

That night at dinner Blair felt like she was walking on eggshells.

The whole family sat around the table, Blair and Hailey with unusual stilted conversation and both pointedly ignoring Cade sitting opposite them. Jane was even more enthusiastic over-compensating for the awkward silences.

'So Blair,' Jane beamed at her. 'I hear you met a boy last night!'

Blair's eyes shot up to Jane in shock, how did Jane even know that? Then she slowly turned to Hailey who was smiling sheepishly.

'Sorry she was asking for the gossip,' Hailey shrugged.

'So dish honey, what's his name?' Jane gushed in excitement.

When Blair paused Cade stood up from the table abruptly, 'Some random from Riverside. Excuse me,' he said and promptly tailed it out of the room.

'Well he's been acting so odd today,' Jane said with raised eyebrows to the girls after Cade had stormed out of the room. 'If I didn't know any better I would say he was hung over today...' She trailed off in thought and then laughed at the idea.

'Yeah, crazy,' Hailey narrowed her eyes at Blair. They exchanged one of those best friend telepathic messages. What was that all about?

'I'll go and see if he's ok,' Blair stood up and now the whole table seemed positively shocked.

To the entire family the least likely person to care about Cade would have been Blair.

'Are you sure that's a good idea?' Hailey stood up and raised her eyebrows at Blair knowingly. 'I'll go.'

'Why is everyone acting so weird tonight?' Hailey's dad piped up between bites of his dinner. His eyes were darting forth between them all like he was watching a soap opera. 'Didn't think either of you girls cared about Cade's wellbeing. You all fight enough.'

Blair shook her head slightly at Hailey and headed up the stairs towards Cade's room. She didn't bother knocking and opened the door. He was standing at the foot of his bed looking typically Cade – frustrated and angry.

'What do you want?' He practically growled.

Blair was slightly taken back by his blunt greeting. She was standing in his room wondering why she had even bothered coming after him.

'I want to know what the hell that was out there? And while we're on the subject of you losing your mind, why the hell did you blab to Hailey like that? I really wanted to tell her about us myself!'

Cade rolled his eyes, 'Yes ok I admit I was a little out of character last night...'

'You were really drunk,' Blair pointed out obviously. 'Why were you drinking anyway?'

'You're going off topic,' Cade interrupted her harshly. 'I said sorry for telling Hailey, we have nothing else to discuss here.'

Blair's mouth fell open slightly a little shocked by his words. She was suddenly jolted by the sound of a phone ringing right beside her and she looked down at his desk where his mobile phone was ringing and vibrating on the table.

She picked it up shakily holding it out to him without a word, the name flashing across the screen was plain as day.

Lacy.

Cade glanced down at it and back at Blair. She couldn't read his expression and he motioned to the door, 'You should go, I have to take this.'

He had to take it? How important could an assignment discussion be? Blair turned around and headed to the door hearing the unmistakable greeting from Cade that made her heart sink.

'Hey Babe.'

Babe? Blair leant against the closed door behind her. So Cade had lied to her. He was seeing Lacy. Knowing Lacy, they were probably sleeping together too.

'Blair what are you doing?' Hailey had paused outside her door noticing Blair leaning against Cade's.

Blair bit her lip and to her absolute horror felt tears welling up in her eyes. Before she knew it they were running down her face, her mascara making light black streaks on her flushed cheeks.

'Blair,' Hailey rushed over to her. 'What did he do?'

'Nothing,' Blair hiccuped and shook her head moving to go into Hailey's room and far away from Cade's. 'It's stupid I honestly don't know why I'm even crying.'

'Well you're obviously upset. How come?'

'It's silly really, I just confirmed something I suspected for a while now.'

'Is this about Cade and Lacy?'

Blair nodded and sighed, 'I knew it. He just insisted he wasn't hooking up with her...'

'If he's lying like that, and seeing her behind your back he is not someone you want to have a crush on B. Trust me.'

Blair nodded in defeat. Hailey was completely right.

'You should text Dean,' Hailey said firmly.

Blair looked up in confusion momentarily forgetting who Dean was. Oh my God Dean! She's completely forgotten about him. He had texted her that morning, to see how she was after last night. Blair would laugh if she weren't already crying, it probably wasn't the best time to tell Hailey she made out with him all last night...

'What's so funny?' Hailey asked with a grin.

'Nothing, you're right. I should text Dean.'

'Yeah screw Cade, we hate him anyway right?'

'Yeah...' Blair tried to sound convincing.

...