It was one of those crisp Manhattan evenings, the kind where the city lights shimmered like gossip waiting to happen.

You were at Blair’s apartment, curled up on the couch with Serena, who was twirling a strand of her hair, sipping wine and looking unusually thoughtful.

“Y/N,” Serena said casually, though the weight in her voice made you tense. “You know Nate, right? He’s… been acting weird lately.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Weird how?”

Serena leaned closer. “Like… he has feelings. And he’s thinking about saying something. About you.”

Your heart stuttered, but you smiled politely. “Thanks for the heads-up, S. But I’m… fine.”

Serena gave you a knowing look. “Uh-huh. Fine. Sure.”

Later that night, you ran into Nate at a rooftop party. The wind whipped your hair as he walked toward you, expression hesitant.

“Y/N,” he began, voice low. “Can we talk?”

You nodded, heart thudding.

“I know you’ve been… distant,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “And I don’t want to make things awkward… but I can’t ignore it anymore. I like you. I really like you.”

Your stomach flipped. Because you did like Nate in a way… but your heart belonged somewhere else.

“Thank you, Nate,” you said softly. “But… I’m with Dan.”

His jaw tightened. “Dan?”

You nodded. “It’s… complicated. But I care about him. A lot.”

Nate’s face fell, though he quickly masked it with a tight smile. “Yeah… I get it. I just… needed to be honest.”

The next morning, Serena confronted you in Blair’s kitchen.

“Did Nate tell you he likes you?” she asked, voice calm, almost teasing.

You nodded. “Yes. But he knows I’m with Dan.”

Serena smirked. “And he believed you?”

You hesitated. “I… hope so.”

Blair, who had been silently sipping her espresso, finally spoke up. “You’re playing with fire, Y/N. Manhattan isn’t kind to secrets—especially love triangles.”

“I know,” you admitted, heart racing. “But it’s… complicated. And I can’t hurt Dan.”

Blair leaned back, smirk tugging at her lips. “Good. Just remember… sometimes the city has a way of making the complicated very public.”

Serena laughed softly. “And messy. Very messy.”