alk…in closet。 On the shelf above the clothes rail； behind that
ridiculous Darth Vader head he？d worn for Halloween two years in a row back in fourth and fifth
grade； was the little mahogany pirate？s treasure chest with the brass lock that his uncle Gerard had
given him when he was eight； where Nate stowed all his old photographs。 He grabbed the clothes
rail with one hand and used it to steady himself as he scaled the closet wall with his bare feet；
trying to get the fucker down。
The chest spilled open on the floor。 There he was on a fishing boat in Prince William Sound up in
Alaska two Augusts ago with his arm around his dad； both smiling like losers and wearing dirty
yellow foul…weather gear。 That was the best time he and his dad had ever had together。 Fishing in
the weird eleven o？clock twilight； surrounded by ghostly glaciers； and sharing a flask of Scotch on
their way back into port。 Then there were the pictures of him and Blair。 He looking bored and
sleepy and embarrassed； with his head on her rose…colored pillows； and she looking crazily
ecstatic； with her cheek pressed violently into his ear as she held her camera in front of their faces
and snapped the pictures herself。
Then there was the picture of Serena？s elegant； tanned foot with the wordsMiss you written on it
in purple marker that she？d sent him last year while she was still up at boarding school。 Nate had
kept it； loving her sexy silver toe ring； and loving how he knew it was from her； even though she
hadn？t sent it with a note or used a return address or anything。 He held the photograph in his hands；
trying to invoke that tingly； turned…on feeling he？d felt when he？d gotten it in