"What I really meant to say
Is I'm sorry for the way I am
I never meant to be so cold
To you I'm sorry about all the lies
Maybe in a different light
You could see me stand on my own again
Cause now i can see
You were the antidote that got me by
Something strong like a drug that got me high."
-'Cold' by Crossfade
XXX
"So I think I fixed your problem." Jaimie said as soon as she saw the blonde enter her shop.
Piper raised a brow, she wasn't aware that she had a specific problem that she needed fixing. "And what would that be exactly?"
Jaimie sat smug behind the counter, "Your lady problem, I fixed it. You can now drop that sad model, because I found you someone I think you'll like even better."
Piper rolled her eyes, "Ex model."
"Whatever, this girl is way hotter."
Piper sat down on her favored stool, "I'm listening."
"Well I know you got a thing for height, even though you are tall enough already."
Piper reached for a pastry and bit into it, "Go on."
"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's gross."
"That's not what they say, ladies love the vibration."
Jaimie screwed up her face, "You're disgusting. Anyways, she's super tall, taller than Camille, and has a killer body. Green eyes I think, might've been blue, couldn't see behind her glasses."
Piper nearly choked on her pastry, eyes widening she asked, "What color was her hair?"
"Black, I think her name was Alex."
Piper wobbled on her stool, it couldn't be. Alex was in Litchfield. Wait, how many years had it been? Piper thought for a moment before coming to the conclusion that her ex ex-girlfriend was out of prison, and she was in town.
She let her pastry drop onto the counter and hastily stood, "I have to go."
"Wait, Piper!" Jaimie called after her. She didn't get the chance to tell her that she had invited this Alex person to her art opening that night.
XXX
"Camille, we're going to be late!" Piper shouted up the stairs. She was five seconds away from leaving her ass at the house.
Camille had decided she wanted to come over and have pre-celebratory sex, and who was Piper to say no? Of course it was only the taller blonde though who had a good time, Piper just felt like it was becoming a job at this point.
"Camille!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Cami said, entering Piper's view from the stairs' landing. Piper was used to her fuck buddy's beauty. She was hot, but you got used to it.
Piper didn't bother to compliment her, turning on her heel and grabbing her bag off of the banister.
They climbed into her beat up jeep in their fancy dresses, and set off towards the art showing.
XXX
Alex and Nicky entered the museum together.
Nicky kept looking over at Alex, trying to decipher her facial expression.
Alex at first didn't want to go, but Nicky convinced her that if she saw Piper, then she would be able to realize that she had moved on just like she needed to.
The building was bursting with life, people from surrounding cities and states came to see the art produced by Piper Chapman's hand.
"This place is fucking packed!" Nicky said, trying to get Alex to slip out of the stone cold mask that she had on.
They followed the queue of people into the main show room, taking in the various canvases that hung on the walls. People stood around in a cluster near one of the paintings.
As they walked closer, they could hear a familiar voice. Someone in front of them shifted on their feet, making the person that they were all crowded around come into view.
Alex's jaw dropped.
Piper stood in a floor length burgundy maxi dress, her hair curled and clipped up in the back, leaving small tendrils out to frame her face. Her lips were a dark shade of red, something Alex hadn't seen in over two decades.
Nicky turned to look at the brunette, not knowing what to do. Should she make a joke and diffuse the situation that was currently taking place, or just let it play out? She grabbed Alex's arm, pulling her away from the crowd, "You've seen her Vause, if you want to talk to her, you should probably wait until she's alone."
XXX
"Piper, everything looks so amazing!"
"Not now, Cami." Piper said tiredly, the showing was almost over and she was more than exhausted. People kept coming up to her, which was great, but she soon lost interest in what they were all saying and the fact that she had to keep repeating her answer to every person who asked the same question, who was the woman in all of the paintings, was getting her a little more than irritated.
"What do you mean not now? Piper, you never want to talk anymore."
"This is so not the place, Camille." Piper said through clenched teeth.
The taller blonde waved her hands about the room, "Really, because I thought this was the perfect time to bring up how you only want to fuck me. What if I wanted more Piper, what if I actually love you?"
Piper could feel her anger beginning to flare up, "We'll talk about this later."
"That's what you always say, 'we'll talk later', 'I don't want to talk about it right now', 'it's too late to talk about this right now'. When is it ever going to be the right time to talk?"
"Are you trying to ruin my career right now? Do you have any idea how this argument can be perceived, it's completely unprofessional!" Piper hissed.
Camille shook her head, her eyes filling up with tears. "Why, because I know nothing about professionalism right, because I'm some washed up model that nobody wants to take pictures of anymore?!"
Piper threw her hands up in aggravation, "This has nothing to do with your job or whatever the fuck you want to twist this into! Camille, we were never going to be anything more than what we are right now! I don't love you; I don't love anyone because I can't! You knew what you were getting into the night we met; I never lied to you about that."
Cami stood stock still, frozen to the spot. She didn't know what to say.
"Now, I need to get back to working and actually look like I give a shit about all of these paintings. So if you can't handle me not paying attention to you for the rest of this event, find another way home." Piper said icily.
Camille burst into tears, "I never would've thought that you could be so cold! You used to be so passionate about what you did with your paint."
Piper laughed darkly, not caring that people were starting to stare. "I was never passionate about these paintings. I haven't been passionate about anything in over a decade, because I fucked up! I fucked up over and over again, because that's all I can do; it's all I am capable of! I've ruined everything that has ever been good for me; it's all gone because I was too scared to worry about anyone that wasn't me."
Camille shook her head, "You are a lost cause Piper because that's all you allow yourself to be. I thought I could help you see that, but I'm done."
Piper turned away from her, not letting herself watch the taller woman walk away from her. She was never good when people left her, when people gave up on her. She always had to be liked, be wanted. Piper was never satisfied with just making herself happy; she always needed someone else to do that for her.
XXX
Alex watched the fight unfold in front of her.
"Whoa, looks like the ice princess hasn't changed at all." Nicky said.
They had heard the entire thing; Piper was never quiet when she thought she was.
"I should go talk to her." Alex said suddenly as she watched Piper press her face into her hands and shake her head.
Nicky looked up at the brunette, eyebrow cocked, "You sure that that's a good idea, Vause? Do you really think it would do her any good to see you right now, right after that fucking shit show?"
Alex sighed, not knowing what to do.
"You were the one always comforting her, Vause. Maybe you should make her work for it this time."
The taller woman looked down at the red head, "In order for her to have to work for it, wouldn't she have to know that I'm here?"
Nicky shrugged, "It's up to you man, just don't fuck her alright?"
"Like this?"
"You never know, I'll see you back at home." Nicky said, leaving the museum.
XXX
"So that was probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen."
Piper jumped from the all too familiar voice, turning to make sure she wasn't losing it, she came face to face with the once love of her life, the one that risked it all for her and she did nothing to prove herself to in return.
"Is this your way of getting back at me, rub it in that I'm not as good as the inevitable Alex Vause?"
Alex shrugged, looking around the room at all the paintings, "I can't help but find these paintings a little familiar."
Piper rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, "Don't act coy, if you want to call me out on my clear obsession, do it. I'm a big girl now, I can handle it."
Alex raised a brow, ignoring what she had just said, "You look beautiful, Pipes."
"Oh yeah, 43 and going grey at the roots, definitely a sight for sore eyes."
Alex shook her head in amusement, "Fine, you look like shit. Your mascara is running and you look like you've lost too much weight, not to mention you just scared yet another person that loved you away."
"You heard that?"
"Along with everyone else in the vicinity."
Piper sighed, looking around the room. It was nearly empty now.
"Look, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"No you didn't, you wanted to prove to me that you are still in my life, whether I like it or not." Piper bit out.
"See, that's the thing Pipes, you always made me out to be the enemy, and sure I may I have fucked up by importing drugs, but you lost me, your fiancé, whoever that poor girl was, and something tells me you haven't spoken to your parents in years."
"They practically wrote me off when I moved here."
"Did they really write you off, or did you do the writing for them?"
"Don't do this."
"Don't do what?"
"Act like you know me, you haven't seen me in nine years, you don't know anything about me anymore." Piper said.
"And whose fault is that? I didn't say goodbye Piper, you left, and I didn't even get a fucking 'see ya never'. You had me thrown back in prison just for you to stay long enough to make me think that you changed, that you actually loved me. Then a year without closeness, without touch, it became too much for you, you didn't like that I depended on you to keep me sane while I was stuck in that hell hole because of you!" Alex was shouting now, she was fucking livid.
"You don't get to make me look like the bad guy Piper. I may not know how you feel when you wake up in the morning, or what you had for breakfast, or who you talk to so that you don't fall into the pit of self-pity entirely, but I do know you. I know that your feet are always warm, that you can't lay down in bed unless all of the lights are off in the rest of the house, I know how you take your tea and your coffee, and I know what kind of toast you prefer when you go out to a diner." Alex angrily wiped at her eyes.
"I know what your first thought is when going into a movie theater, and I know that you can't stand the fact that I'm standing here right now, able to live without you, but I guess that would be your next question, why am I here if I can live without you. The truth is I can but I don't want to. I hate the fact that you left me, and I can't stand the fucking fact that you've been fucking that model for god knows how long, and the thing I hate most is that I can't get the fuck away from you! I thought I was starting anew by coming here."
Piper listened to all of this with a heavy heart, and tears trailing down her cheeks.
Alex looked away, "Believe me, there's nothing I wanted more than to be rid of you forever."
XXX
AN: Hey guys! I am so sorry, and before all of you yell at me, I cried too okay? Haha, you know it's bad when the writer can't hold back their tears. So anyways, let me know what you thought, and leave me a review whether you are team Alex or team Piper. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I will see you in the next. Until then!
-Marissa