"What the fuck am I doing?" Piper asked herself, as she paced infront of the doorway of Alex's bunk. She waited. Waited for the inevitable to happen. Waiting for Alex to wonder out into the hallway, look at Piper, and… and she didn't even know what Alex would do when she saw her again.
She knew she had done a really awful thing by ratting her out, landing her back in prison for a second time. And as much as she'd like to say she did it because she needed to make sure Alex was safe (partially this being true), she knew she had done it all because of her own selfishness. She knew she had done it because she was terrified of being alone.
Pipers ears perked up as she heard heavy footfalls behind her, and the door to the bunk room open. The brunette looked at Piper as she set foot into the hall. At first Piper could not tell what the expression on her face meant, but realized quickly that there was not an expression.
Alex just stood there and stared at her before being the first to speak, bringing her hands together to clap slowly, "Well done, Piper-Fucking-Chapman. We are now even."
Her voice was low and grisly, making her sound angrier the more the tone echoed in her mind.
"I didn't do this to get even with you, Alex," she whispered, "I did thi-"
Alex cut her off quickly with a sharp snap of her finger, "I don't give five FUCKS why you did it, Piper, the fact is, you did it and there's no way in hell you can make up for it," she explained, her voice a little more forceful this time around.
"So, Piper, just fucking enlighten me on this one with your lies, because I am so far from really caring about the truth from you, it's just another god damn story to you. Why did you do it?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the doorway.
Piper swallowed hard and cleared her throat, "I- I did it because I was scared Kubra would find you and kill you. I would not be able to eat, or sleep… or just even be, not knowing what was going on with you. I know that right now you do not believe me-"
"Pipes, do you even believe yourself right now?" Alex asked her, interrupting her before she could finish her sentence. Alex did not let her have time to answer the question, as she walked past her and out into the hallway.
Watching her walk away, Piper could not bring herself to follow, to keep up but she knew Alex would be on her way to the library right now. She knew Alex's only release from the hell she is in is books. Her feet heavy, her heart equally heavy, Piper set out to find Alex.
. . .
Alex made her way into the library, ignoring Pensatucky's rude comments about alex being back, and waved a salute towards Taystee. Knowing Piper, and Piper knowing Alex, Alex had known that Piper wouldn't back down for a moment and leave her be, but she really had a bit of hope she would. Her hopes were in vain when she heard the creak of the door to the library open behind her moments after she entered.
"For fuck sakes…" she muttered to herself as she continued walking towards the back of the library. She didn't want to make a scene infront of the other inmates so she led Piper to the more remote area of the library.
"Alex, I'm not done talking to you!" Piper exclaimed, quickening her pace to grab Alex by the shoulder.
"Yeah, obviously," Alex said, rolling her eyes and yanking herself away from the blonde-haired woman's grasp. "Following me like a little lost puppy dog. Just tell me the fucking truth, Pipes. Im not accepting any apology until you tell me the fucking truth."
Piper's glance fell from Alex's face to her hands, and swallowed hard, feeling a lump build in her throat. "It feels like you already know what the truth is…"
"Yeah I know what the truth is, and I know how to distinguish your lies and your truths, but I wanna know if you understand when your lying and telling the truth. So keep shootin your blank apologies, eventually I'll be able to tune you out," Alex explained.
"Okay," Piper sighed, "Okay. Alex, Im sorry," she said, pausing, Alex waving her hand in a circle as if to say "… Annnnd?"
"… I ratted you out because I'm a selfish waspy bitch, who doesn't know how to live life alone. I walked out on you and left you alone in Paris in the worst time, knowing I would be fine alone. I didn't realize that I never learned how to live life alone until then, so I ended up in shitty relationships in order not to be alone. Boring shitty relationships. When really I knew I would never find someone like you. When I know that, I should not have left you. Period."
Piper grew silent and watched the emotions run across Alex's face. Alex opened her mouth several times, and proceeded to close it.
"That has got to be…" Alex started, trying to keep a straight face, "the sappiest thing someone has ever said to me!"
Piper stood still gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw, as Alex busted a gut. Still laughing, Alex stepped closer to Piper as she put an arm around her shoulder.
"It was a nice attempt, kid, have to admit, but jeez. Maybe I should have done this a long time ago," Alex stated.
"Shut it, Vause. Just shut it," Piper spat through gritted teeth, but couldn't help giggling with Alex.