"Slow Show" by The National plays over the next bits. It's cinematic and sad and applicable to everything, by ear, but some of the lyrics are pretty pointy.

Can I get a minute of not being nervous
And not thinking of my dick?

I made a mistake in my life today

In the car to the airport, Aaron "jokes" that the first time they "actually sleep together" it'll be on an airplane: "Most guys get candles and lingerie, my girl's gonna be sporting earplugs and a neck pillow." Ugh, he just honestly makes me ill at this point. Lexi was not the first sign, but it was the brightest. Serena laughs at him: "Hey, you're gonna be fighting me for that neck pillow when your chin is on your chest and there's drool all over your shirt." Aaron has the audacity to ask how she knows for a fact that he drools, as though she's never met him, and she laughs, promising that it's going to be so good: "This trip, us, all of it." He asks if she has any regrets, and she responds that she doesn't; his hand on hers like a vise. She cuddles against his shoulder, but finds it uncomfortably bony and oily, and steals the neck pillow back. It's a victory of sorts, I suppose. Whatever weapon you have, use it.

A little more stupid, a little more scared
Every minute more unprepared

Looking for somewhere to stand and stay
I leaned on the wall and the wall leaned away

Dan comes into the darkened loft, totally lost. Rufus spins dramatically around in his chair, looking totally unhappy for the first time ever. "Well," Dan nags as he turns on a light, "Thank you for telling me that you're in love with Lily Bass again, or still, or whatever it is. It would have been really useful information to have before I tried to stop Serena from flying off to South America..." Rufus says darkly, "I will never be with Lily." Dan's confused: "Serena just said..." Rufus stands, looking and sounding rough as hell, sounding angry and nasty: "Serena doesn't know what the hell she's talking about." Dan asks WTF is going on, if he's going on a trip or what, and what's with the note, and Rufus -- is he drunk? -- just weaves and crumbles the note into his pocket: "Just out." Dan watches his father leave, more fucked up and sad and out of it than he's ever seen, and grabs his phone.