Chapter 20
The South canteen was terribly crowded at breakfast. Today was one of their lucky days; eggs and buttered breads were available for the residents. But Alex had lost her appetite. She was seated at the fifth table on the left along with Lorna and Daya. Her tray was still full, a cup of black coffee untouched. Her gaze was fixed on the TV mounted on the wall to her right. It was a huge news, earning cheering and yelling from many residents. Kubra's headquarters in Cairo and Istanbul were raided last night by armed forces. Both attacks cost the syndicate seventy-eight casualties in total. Judging from the number alone, Kubra's faction was literally crushed in half overnight. The loss would put an enormous strain on the faction as a whole. After all these years, Kubra was finally challenged.
It was supposed to be a great news, but Alex's heart grew heavy with worries. It must have been that night when Red dug into her mind and stole the information from her memories. It must have been Red who leaked the information to the police. It had been only two weeks ago, and the governments had worked incredibly fast. Alex was more than certain that she was at the top of Kubra's blacklist now. He would believe that she had sold the information against him. He would kill her and everyone she loved.
Kubra Balik possessed a calm exterior, but only those closest to him knew that he was a walking, vicious volcano waiting to erupt. His anger was unmatched. His vindictive nature was endless. He never let betrayers go unpunished. At this moment, her worries were Diane and Piper. They were the two most important people in her life, and it scared her that Kubra knew all of this. It was only a matter of time before the whole mess would explode.
Without a word, Alex got up and left the table, while Morello and Daya looked on, bewildered.
Six buzzes on the other end of the line, ongoing. Alex tightly held the phone to her ear. She was in the third telephone booth in the lobby. It was loud, and she plugged one finger in her free ear.
Come on. Come on, pick up the phone, mom—
"Hey, baby."
Alex closed her eyes, sighing deeply. Thank God. "Hey, mom. How are you?"
"I—I'm good."
Alex could hear Diane trying to muffle her coughs. "You're ok?"
"Yes, of course!" Diane cleared her throat. "You call early today. Is everything all right?"
"You've seen the news? Kubra's headquarters had been attacked. Turn on your TV. It should be on right now."
"I… I've heard about it. Isn't that great, Alex? We can go home now. I'm so sick of this place. You know, I miss my shifts at Friendly's. I never thought that I would say that, but I really do miss it." Diane gave a dry laugh.
Alex frowned. "No, mom, this is bad. He's gonna make our lives a living hell. Well, he already has, but you know what I mean. You have to be extra careful. Don't trust anyone. Do you hear me? Don't talk to anybody. Don't leave the house, if you can help it. He's gonna do everything he can to find us. There's no stopping until I—"
"Whatever you do, you have to stay alive, Alex. It's an order."
Alex inwardly sighed. She knew how Kubra thought, how his methods worked. He instilled fears in his followers. It was how he kept them in line. It was how he ran his faction. After the disastrous losses of his men, he would raid the earth to find her and her loved ones to make an example of. Piper was safe with her in Litchfield, and she just hoped that Diane had strictly followed her instructions. "I'm sorry that I've put you through this. I should have thought things through. I should have taken a different route, a more honest route. I failed you, mom. Please… forgive me," Alex breathed. She paused when she caught Diane's quiet sobs. "Mom?"
"I'm still here." Diane sounded a little shaky, and Alex knew that her mother must have been crying. "I love you, baby. Remember that I named you after your grandfather. He possessed the powers of lightning just like you do. He was a brave man. Special. You are."
Alex let out a throaty groan, glancing around as a few residents walked past by. "Yeah, he fried grandmother at dinner. Special, all right. That's not something people forget."
"See, but I still loved him. And I love you no matter what. Don't you ever forget that."
Alex had to chuckle. She had always admired Diane Vause's spirit. "Ok. I won't. Love you, too."
Falcon was fixed within the period of two weeks just as Red ordered, so Piper was in a better mood this morning. At least, there was one less thing to worry about.
Piper met up with Lorna in the back of the Zone, the large building that accommodated several gyms for powers trainings. Red had granted the backyard to hold the wedding ceremony. It was supposed to be just a small gathering, but many South residents had asked if they could come. Nicky had frequented the South for years, and she had many friends from there.
"Are you excited?" Piper asked, stacking up ten boxes of cocktail plates. With limited budget Nicky had, she was careful not to order too many. They had counted about 60 guests, tripling the number of actual invitations.
"Very." Lorna chortled, her hands fidgety over the bags of tissue poms poms flowers. "My whole life, I've always imagined how grand and romantic my wedding would be. But this isn't so bad."
Piper glanced up at the soon-to-be bride, feeling the love in her eyes. "Not at all, I'd say."
The wedding would be tomorrow. Tables were arranged. The canvas roofs were set up.
Lorna smiled, and then continued with her tasks. "What about you and Vause? Any good news soon?"
The question was harmless, but it stalled Piper. Everything had been smooth between Alex and her. They had spent every night together, warm in each other's arms. But Piper would only go to sleep until Alex woke up, fearing Stella attacking them in the middle of the night. Stella hadn't approached her again since that day at the warehouse, and thankfully, stayed out of her way while she visited the warehouse to fix Falcon. It was as if Stella had been ordered to stay away from Piper, and Piper had no complaint over it. She didn't entertain the idea of having to see an upset Alex again, although she must admit that she liked seeing the jealous side from her.
Piper stared straight into the woods, momentarily lost in her thoughts. On the outside, everything seemed so ordinary. But there was always the ultimate question in the back of her mind. When would it happen? How would it end? What would she become?
Piper shook her head a bit, offering her friend a small smile. "We've never really discussed it," she said. She didn't want to remember how Alex shot down her proposal out of her uncertainty of Piper's love. It disgusted her. She disgusted herself. It was unforgivable how she had made Alex feel after all this time. "No, actually, I asked her to marry me, but she said 'no'. She didn't think that I really loved her," Piper eventually admitted.
Lorna gasped. "Oh, no, Chapman."
"When I really thought about what I'd done, I can't really blame her. I put her through hell." Piper rolled her eyes. "She put me through hell, too, but we just didn't realize that we did. We fucked each other up."
"We all do sometimes. But it's all in the past now, right?"
Piper nodded, but the thought of her involvement with Danny and Stella kept hammering in her head. She was fucking it up big time, but she didn't know how to stop it.
Piper pretended to be busy arranging the tables and chairs. "Hey, do you know anything about Stella Carlin? Where's she from?"
"Oh, a petty thief. Orphan. Our resident tattoo artist. She's here and there. She's been in and out of Litchfield for a few years now. Never stayed for too long. She has criminal records, so she has to move often."
Piper raised her brows. "But don't they check on their history before accepting them into the island?"
"Almost everyone in the South has records, Chapman. But Mr. Bloom is lenient with us, knowing that we've got nowhere else to go."
"But it's dangerous. We'd never know when an enemy is among us."
"Oh, don't worry. Red has screened everyone. She knows everything." Lorna smiled as she unfolded some of the tablecloths.
Red.
Piper paused. As if on cue, she turned to see Red standing by the corner of the Zone. The instructor had been watching her. "I'll be right back," she said to Lorna, walking off to Red's direction.
Piper and Red moved further away from the backyard, trekking deeper into the woods. When Piper was sure that no one was near enough to hear them, she turned to snarl in Red's face. "You knew all along! You knew that Carlin is a mole, but you still let her in. You've endangered Alex's life, and mine, too! How could you!?"
"Vause and Carlin aren't the only ones who have had histories in Kubra's faction. Members came and left. You can never be sure with the South residents. They're lost causes. What's more important is the big picture. Kubra. We have to get to him. You can get to him. He wants you. Carlin will take you there."
Piper bit her bottom lip. Many things stormed through her mind. She clenched her fists, her palms sweaty. "Enough with your secret agendas. Enough with your shit, Red. Just tell me how to end it, how to fight him."
"He can steal your powers with just a glance at you. A glance. And you'd be rendered an ordinary human. Powerless. A stone. He is like a Medusa. And he has at least half a dozen men around him at all times." Red smirked, arms across her chest. "Still think you'd be up for the job?"
Piper's legs felt like lead as she stumbled back a step. Without my powers?
"But that's your only chance to get close to him. He can have your powers, but you have to use your brains. Good news is that he can only steal from one source at a time, and the source must remain close to him. Those men around him aren't just there to guard him, but to keep the powers source close." Red squeezed Piper's slim shoulder. "You'll have to fight as an ordinary human, if you want to help Vause. The chance will present itself. Make it count."
Piper just gulped as Red turned and walked away, her spirit sunken.
Lunch was over, and Piper headed directly to the South Mansion. The two-hour-sleep-a-day for the past weeks was literally killing her. Her hands balled inside her sweater pockets, she walked into the building, stoic and slow like a zombie going up the stairs. Her balance must have swayed, bumping into several people, but she didn't stop to care. She just wished to reach Alex's room as soon as possible, wanting to take the usual nap. She would only go to sleep after Alex awoke. She even pretended to be interested in playing her PS Vita all night, and she was grateful that Alex seemed to have bought it.
Blue eyes closed for a brief moment. Her legs knew their paces by heart as she walked along the narrow corridor. She just wanted to have a moment of peace, shutting out everyone around her—every snicker and shout in the hallway.
"Hey, there."
The small greeting ruthlessly pulled Piper out of her trance. Piper stopped in her tracks. Her head snapped to her right, her eyes narrowed. It was Stella. The heavily tattooed woman softly motioned her to move slightly to the left wall to give way for other passersby.
"You look tired. Been waiting for me all night?"
Piper laughed a muted laugh. She wanted to rip the woman's throat off.
"You know where my room is."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
Piper stalled. Yes, she did know where Stella's room was. It was eight rooms down the hallway, narrow and dingy like what most other rooms in the South were. Alex's was much cleaner compared to most other occupants in the mansion. "I do, so watch out."
Stella chuckled. "Or we could be civil about it. How about me inviting you in?"
"I can unlock any door I want." Piper darkly remembered the nights when she stood in the corner of Stella's room, watching her prey asleep. She had wanted to put her hands around the woman's neck, or put a pillow on her face. Or her invisible hand around her windpipe. She had wanted to put an end to this agony, but dawn had always stopped her. The light. However small it was between the curtains.
"I've been waiting for you. Thought that you'd visit, or maybe you'd want to, but too scared," Stella whispered, moving closer that their faces were only an inch apart.
Piper didn't move away. She was feeling anything but thrilled. "You have no idea," she said.
Stella smiled widely. Piper didn't know what she had insinuated to earn that smile, but whatever worked for her. "I'll see you tonight then?"
Piper inwardly groaned. "Why tonight? Anything you wanna tell me now?"
Stella pressed in, hooking her hands at the back of Piper's neck. Their gazes were locked, and Piper didn't move away. Piper didn't have the energy to back away. She was just tired and angry about everything. She wanted her nap.
"I've got so much to tell," Stella whispered.
Piper frowned as Stella let go and walked away. Piper barely looked over her shoulder and, for a moment, thanked God that she was left alone again. She took a few steps forward before coming to a sudden halt at the dimming, green gaze by the doorway that was her destination. Alex had been watching. Again. Alex didn't say anything. Her face was as expressionless as ever as she turned and retreated into her room.
Piper had to remind herself to breathe. So many things could go so wrong in just a few careless moments.
Alex was in euphoria. She was floating high in the sky, and then diving deep into the ocean the next. So fast. So blissful. It all felt so surreal, but also tangible somehow. She couldn't tell the time. She couldn't tell where she was. She was just 'being'.
A rough grip at her collar slowly registered in her mind. Then, furious shouts, and angry gaze of dark eyes. Alex took a moment to understand what was going on. She nodded at Fahri while she had no idea what he was saying to her. It was just what she knew she should do—programmed to follow orders.
"It was her! I fucking saw her! You fucking lied to me!"
Sitting on the floor of the private room in the dance club, Alex was leaning against the couch, dreamily chuckling at how serious Fahri looked. "Who?"
Fahri pulled her violently, shaking her. "Piper fucking Chapman! I just saw her in the parking lot with a friend. You told me that she was dead!"
Piper. Fucking. Chapman.
Alex slowly blinked. It took a moment before the name slipped its meaning into her head.
Of course, Piper.
Alex tiredly rubbed her face before looking away from Fahri. The past had eventually caught up with her, and she felt unprepared no matter how many months and years she had spent convincing herself that everything would go as planned. She had failed. It was time to pay for her sin.
It was how madness began. Fahri was driving, his eyes darkened to pitch black. On the ride to the destination, Alex had to think fast of what to do, especially her mother's safety. She had to come up with plans for the both of them.
Once they reached the building, Fahri led her to the rooftop. A cigarette between his lips, he gestured down at the window to the third room on the first floor across the street. Alex followed his gaze to the lit apartment. Of course, it was Piper.
Alex gritted her teeth. Piper was still with the same man she saw three years ago. It seemed serious, and Alex hated it. She had once thought that she could let go of all those feelings for Piper, but rage had quickly built up inside of her instead. She felt bitter that Piper still had a hold on her as if no time had passed. She wanted to storm into the room and tore everything down, tearing them apart. She wanted to destroy everything that she was seeing. How cruel tonight was to have her witness everything that she detested, and without the soothing influence of drugs. With her mind clear, the pain was much more than she could take.
"It looks like her," Alex said, taking a drag of her own cigarette. She couldn't take her eyes off the two figures moving in the cozy room. Her mind played a nasty trick on her, luring her to believe that she could have that chance to be in the room with Piper. That chance was right now. That chance was to kill Larry.
Fahri turned to Alex, his fists trembling. "How is this possible? Alex, I want the truth."
From the strain in his voice, Alex could tell that he was being dead serious. He wasn't going to let it slip. Not when she had betrayed his trust. Not when she had lied to the faction. Kubra would have them both killed, if he found out. Instinctively, Alex knew that she had left Fahri no choice. She had always known how this would end, and she was wrong that she had thought that she could handle it.
Alex watched as Piper laughed into Larry's kiss as if to numb her own pain with pain. She watched as Piper caressed his face. She watched as Piper wrestled with Larry on the couch for a bag of chips. The TV was on, but they weren't paying attention as they were busy kissing, chips falling out of the bag. "Yeah, it looks like her," Alex whispered. A tear welled up her eye, and she didn't understand why. It had been four years apart. It should have been forgotten. She should have felt nothing by now. But all she felt now was pain—a pain so deep and devastating that she couldn't look away.
"The truth," Fahri demanded.
Alex pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed. The ache grew on the left side of her head, shooting down her neck. It exploded. It hammered her head and crushed her teeth. She was screaming inside, but no sound could escape her throat.
"Alex!"
Alex finally made a move. She backed away from Fahri, trying to push his hands away from her collar. "I—I don't know—" She couldn't do it. She had failed. She couldn't carry on the plan.
"Fuck, Alex! Of course, you knew!"
"No! No, I don't, I swear!" Alex pushed him away, but he was relentless.
"I can't believe that you did this to me! Do you have any idea what Kubra would do if this got out!? I trusted you!" Fahri threw Alex down to the floor.
"I'm sorry!" Alex had made no move to get up. Eyes shut, she curled into a ball, hands frantically hovering over her head. She felt defeated. It was a fight that she couldn't win no matter what. Knowing exactly how this would end, she didn't want to fight any longer. She wanted it to end now. For a moment, it felt as though that there wasn't anything—anyone worth living for.
Green eyes suddenly snapped open. Alex cried out in pain when Fahri bit down on her forearm. The dark of his eyes spread to the white, and Alex realized that he was releasing venom into her bloodstream. She panicked, and pushed him away.
Fahri hissed, her blood dripping down his fangs. He dove at her again and bit down on her neck.
Alex grunted at the pain. She kicked at him again and again, but her strength was weakening fast. Her cries were then muffled by bolts of lightning that struck right down at them.
Silence. Everything, including the body over her, had become still.
Her skin sizzled. Her eyes and throat were burning. Her ears were ringing, and her bones ached. Alex groaned and opened her eyes again, trying hard to break from the deadly trap. Her face reddened as she tried to take more air into her lungs. She pushed Fahri's body off her with extreme difficulty. Her agility was stalling, her mind blurry. She needed to get help. She needed to get off this roof as soon as possible before the poison could fully paralyze her.
The next few moments passed so slowly, while the pain grew aggressively. Alex finally found herself at the entrance of the building, stumbling through the door and landing unceremoniously along the sidewalk. She lied on her stomach, her heart almost stopping now. A few passersby had stopped to look at her, shouting something she could no longer hear. She mustered one last strength to glance up to that window, where all her miseries began. She was lying there, dying, watching how she had been forgotten.
Falcon had just been in practice again today, but Alex didn't hold back. She blasted endless bolts of lightning at it, fast and relentless, that many residents had to take some distance away from the heat. Alex had no idea how long she had taken up the training session, but she was already sweating and panting by the time Bennett yelled for her to stop.
Alex took a step back from the red line on the floor, exhausted to the bones. She stared ahead at nothing in particular, waiting for the white spots to vanish from her vision. The thought of her last encounter with Fahri still flashed through her mind. The thoughts of Piper leaving her had never really left her. It still haunted her even if Piper was now with her. Piper had seemed to love her. Piper had several times professed her love to her, but it just didn't seem to take. There had always been the gnawing feelings at the back of her mind, telling her that Piper could walk away from her at any given moment, or if they weren't stuck in Litchfield, Piper would choose a better option than her. Alex knew that things had changed for the better ever since they met in Litchfield again, but the damages were done, and she didn't know how to fix it.
"91 out of 100. You're very precise today. Remarkable! Excellent score, Vause. But, now, you can chill out, or Falcon might break again. Nobody really wants to hear another hour of lecture from Red." Bennett shook his head as he jotted some notes down on the scoresheet.
"You can break it. I'll pay," Jessica interrupted, approaching Alex from behind.
Alex wiped the sweat off her forehead with the edge of her sleeve. She turned to the blonde, who had stopped next to her, slender arms folded across her ample chest. "Hey," Alex greeted.
Jessica's eyes glittered, and the smirk on her face turned into a sensual smile. She licked her lips when Alex ran her hand through her raven mane, exhaling in exhaustion. "It's been a while since you got out of the infirmary. Good exercise. You were great."
Alex smiled. "I needed it." She began to walk, and Jessica followed.
For a moment, they just walked past the crowd, letting the chatters and noises to fill in the silence between them.
"I heard about that fight you had with Piper," Alex remarked casually.
"Oh. That."
Alex glanced at the blonde. "Come on, Jess. You have a boyfriend. We're just casual flings who get to fuck every ten years or something. Don't involve Piper. It's not worth all the troubles."
Jessica halted. Her stare on Alex continued, ignoring even when a passerby bumped at her shoulder. It was something someone like Jessica Wedge never let it pass. "I know that I was horrible to you when we were kids. There were things that I regretted even to this day, but… but you've always been more than just a… a fling to me. Certainly, not now."
Alex raised a brow in mild confusion. "Jess, I—"
"No, you're right. It's not worth it. I have a boyfriend to go back to, and you would embarrass me in front of my friends. Or my parents. Besides, I've got an earful from my dad over the expensive bills for Falcon. You're trouble. Definitely, not worth it." Jessica hissed almost at herself.
Alex lightly smiled. She realized that it was the first time she smiled today. Not after seeing Piper and Stella in the hallway, or how she recalled Fahri's last moment. The mad jealousy and deep regrets. None of it was pleasant. All of it was hidden behind the veil of angry, terrifying lightning. She didn't know how long she could hold it together.
"You look tense. Want a drink? Got a few bottles of Scotch up in my room."
Alex looked at her.
Jessica shrugged. "Totally innocent."
Chuckling, Alex pushed her glasses up her nose. "Maybe."
Oh, no, Alex, you didn't. What the fuck was that? Did she just walk off with that bitch!?
Her hair sweaty, Piper had just come out of the private gym. She was allowed back into trainings, but in a private unit again. Gazing across the swarming Gym 1, she watched Alex and Jessica leaving together, clutching the white towel around her neck with both hands.
Alex had been giving Piper a cold shoulder all afternoon since her encounter with Stella today. She inwardly cursed. It wasn't her fault that Stella had approached her, and she thought that Alex was being childish for getting jealous and running off with Jessica again. They had just started to have some quiet time together after crazy episodes of life-threatening situations, and it frustrated Piper that they had let something so petty to come between them. She just wished that Alex would trust her more.
"I don't get it. What's her problem? I've been trying so hard, Cal. I think that I'm burning myself out. I feel like I'm a hamster on the wheel here. It's exhausting!" Piper was in the phone booth of the North Mansion, rubbing her face with her free hand. It had been a while since she had last called her brother. It was good to talk to him again.
"Calm down, sis."
Piper could hear him chewing. "What are you eating?"
"Clam pie. Franny's."
Piper closed her eyes. "Oh, God, I miss it. Mm-mmm." For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of flying out there right now and join her brother.
"Well, it sounds like you two are having trust problem," Cal said with a mouthful.
"Trust?" Piper frowned. "She's the love of my life. I'd do anything for her."
"Does she know that?"
Piper paused. Her gaze slowly drifted out the window and landed somewhere in the vast yard bathed in the golden sunlight of dusk. "She should know that by now. I fought for her. I broke up with Larry for her. But, for some reason, she doesn't seem to understand. It's like there's always a wall between us. We love each other so much, but the wall is still there. I just… I don't get it. What do I have to do, Cal? I'm running out of ideas. Help me out."
"Communication is key. I think it's clear on your side, but not hers. You dumped her before, didn't you? That might have stuck with her hard."
"No, wait—she was using me. I was the victim. Yes, I broke up with her, but it was her fault. She knew that."
"Sometimes people can't see their own faults."
Piper narrowed her eyes. "Are you talking about me or her?"
"Both." Cal chuckled.
Piper grew a little impatience. "I told her that I love her plenty of time. I don't know how else to do this."
"People can tell when it's being honest."
"Excuse me? I love her. And she'd probably cry, if only she knew what I'd do for her."
"Does she know what it is?"
Piper paused again, phone stiff in her hand. "What do you mean?"
"You've been repeating that 'if only she knew' for half an hour now. If you have something in mind, you gotta tell her. Vause seems like she's been around the block. She seems like the shark that smells blood and bullshit. Be honest. It might get you both somewhere. Out of this fishbowl." Cal chewed some more, and Piper wanted to hang up.
Piper gulped. "I can't."
"See? You've been lying to her. How could she not sense it, while even I could tell from talking to you on the phone? Trust, Piper. Every relationship needs it."
"She can trust me. I'd do anything for her."
"You have to make her believe it, and that requires honesty."
Piper shut her eyes. This was becoming incredibly hard. What should she tell Alex? She had foolishly hoped that everything would turn out all right—that she would save the day, Alex unknowingly waiting for her in her dingy room in the South like a helpless princess waiting for a knight in shining armor. "I'm not cut for it, Cal. Honesty isn't one of my strong suits."
Cal laughed. "Everybody has to start somewhere. You can do it, sis."
It was almost eleven in the evening. Alex had been waiting, and each minute was agonizing. She had been waiting to hear the familiar footsteps approaching her door. She had been waiting to receive the bright smile from Piper, greeting her as if they hadn't seen each other in months. She had been drowning the Scotch, emptying the bottle. Jessica had a plentiful supply, indeed.
At the knocks, Alex turned to stare at the door. Her heart was in her throat. Piper usually came by earlier. Where had the blonde been? The thought of Stella approaching Piper today, and kissing her the other day, had never left her mind.
"Yeah, come in."
The door was pushed open, revealing Piper in her lavender-colored pajamas. Her hair was slightly damped. Her blue eyes were deep, but clear. Alex loved watching them. For a moment, she was so happy that Piper had come to her tonight, just like any other night. She didn't know why she seemed to overthink it, but she just did.
Piper closed the door behind her, a small smile on her face. She glanced at the empty bottle of Scotch on the desk.
Alex was quick to pick it up. "Jess gave me the rest of the bottle. I'm not drunk," she lied. It was the leftover of their third bottle tonight.
Piper nodded, her hands hooked behind her back. She came to sit down on the bed next to Alex's chair. "But was she drunk?"
"Not enough to start a fight, if you're in the mood." Alex winked.
Piper made a face. "We don't need alcohol to start a fight."
"I'm flattered."
Piper gave out a pouty sigh. "We didn't fight over you!"
"I know." Alex chuckled, but Piper was silent for a second.
"She loves you," Piper said.
Alex studied the blonde, who was hugging her pillow. "But I love you," she said. It gave her many emotions when Piper instantly looked up at her. As if her words or actions meant anything to Piper, she would be there, ready to dive in.
"I…" Piper began.
Alex had heard it, but she wanted to hear more. Everyday.
"I've got something to tell you."
Alex forced out a smile. She hated it when her instinct was right. Piper was up to something, and Alex wasn't sure if she would like it.
"You have to believe that I'm doing it for you. It's all for you," Piper said.
"Do tell."
It took Piper a moment before she could speak again. "That steel man you fought with is my older brother. His name is Danny." Piper was fast, and her tone was cold. It made her sound like a reporter.
Alex wasn't sure what to think. It was totally unexpected. "You mean the guy who tried to kill me?" It worried her that somehow Piper had known this all along, but had failed to mention it until now.
"I went searching for you that night, and that was how we got to meet and talk. I was told that he was dead when I was really young, but he was actually abandoned by my parents for possessing supernatural powers," Piper explained, her hands hooked on her lap.
"Are you sure that he was telling the truth? Your parents didn't abandon you. Have you told them about Danny?"
Piper stopped for a second, and shook her head. "No. I thought that they might not like it. They might not want to hear about him." Then she sighed. "What should I do?"
"Your brother works for Kubra, and he's after me. And he knows that you're with me. Yeah, I think that I know the drill." Alex grimaced. "Has he tried to approach you again?"
Piper opened her mouth but no words came out. There was a long silence, and Alex hated it. She knew that she wasn't going to like it.
"Piper."
"Yes, we met again," Piper said, taking in a deep breath, "... that day I went to find your mother for you."
Alex froze. Her mind went blank, and for a moment, she felt like the air was knocked out of her lungs. Her body failed to function. Her blood shot to the head. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. "But I just talked to her this morning. Wait, I also talked to her on the same day you went. You—I mean, she picked up the call. She answered my call! How did that—none of this makes sense. How—"
"They already had Diane when I got there," Piper confessed. "The house was wrecked. Danny had been waiting for you to show up, but it turned out to be me instead. It was your dad. He somehow knew where she was hiding, and sold her out."
Alex shut her eyes for a second, trying to reorder every information in her head. Lee Burley. Lee fucking Burley. She would surely strike a thousand lightning bolts upon him, if they met again. There would be no mercy. None.
Alex took a deep breath in, her hands trembling. "What happened? How did my mother answer my calls every day after that? This doesn't make any sense." Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. The split headache was threatening to explode her head into pieces. Fears flooded her chest, and she wanted to vomit. Knowing how the faction tortured their captives, she didn't want to imagine what her mother had gone through.
"They asked me to work for Kubra in exchange to keep Diane alive." Piper bit her bottom lip, her gaze cast down on the floor.
Silence hung heavily over them. Alex shakily stood up from the desk, her head reeling in anger and frustrations. It was all her fault again.
The blonde shot to her feet, trying to touch Alex, but Alex pushed her hands away. "I did it to protect you! I knew that you'd leave Litchfield the moment you found out!"
"You're damn right, I would!" Alex turned away, but Piper harshly gripped her arm and pulled her around.
"You can't leave! They won't let you come back, and Kubra will kill you! I can't let that happen!"
Alex drew her arm away from Piper's grip, and pushed the blonde. Piper fell back onto the bed, but quickly tried to get up. Alex bent over her and slapped her face, forcing her back down. "You're a fucking liar! All this time, you knew that my mom is suffering, that she's being tortured. You fucked me, and yet you pretended like nothing was happening! How could you do this to me? How, Piper!?"
Lying on the bed, Piper had her left hand on her reddened cheek. She whimpered, tears in her eyes.
Alex paced around in the tiny space of her bedroom. Her right hand was numb from slapping Piper so hard, she had to clench it to prevent herself from harming the blonde again. She had done something that she never thought she could. But she just did, and it didn't feel like it was enough even. Alex breathed, her whole body trembling in rage. "I should have trusted my instinct from the start. You can't be trusted. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid," she mumbled, cursing to herself.
Piper shook her head in disbelief and sat up. "Fuck you, Alex. I've loved you all these years. From the moment we first met. I have loved you even when I was engaged to Larry. I know I did wrong by lying to you, but it was because I love you—"
"I wish that you've been fucking that fucking Carlin instead of fucking lying to me about this," Alex hissed. Piper froze at her words, but she ignored it. She walked to the door and swung it open. "Get the fuck out of my room," she said. And when Piper failed to respond, she yelled, "Now!"
Tears streamed down Piper's face as she rose to her feet, wounded, but with small dignity left. She walked out past Alex, careful not to touch her.
As soon as Piper walked out, Alex slammed the door shut.
Alex breathed hard as she bent, hands on her knees. She tried to think, but her mind was numbed by the pain of Piper's lie. Her mother had been captured for more than a month by now, ever since she was put in a coma after the fight at Queens Comfort. She didn't want to imagine what tortures her mother had gone through. She didn't want to know now, especially how furious Kubra must be after his two headquarters had just been raided.
It's all my fault. I fucked up. Fucked up!
Alex kicked the door again and again before slouching down on the floor. Out of breath, she rested her forehead on her folded arms. She clenched her right fist. She still felt the sting on her palm where she had hit Piper.
Oh, God, Pipes.
Regret filled her heart. Alex lifted her head up, staring at her hand, and it disgusted her. The two most important people in her life were suffering, and here she was, sitting on the floor, helpless in her tiny, old room. She used to be strong. She used to have grand plans, but now she was just lost and exhausted. Kubra had always succeeded, always ahead of her. He was winning, and her loved ones were hurting.
Alex took in a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down and finding some solutions to all of this. The wedding was tomorrow morning, but she couldn't let Nicky know. Knowing her friend, Nicky would certainly follow her out of Litchfield, and Alex couldn't have that. She wouldn't let even one more person to suffer because of her.
The ferry would leave the island at ten o'clock in the morning. It was time to face her fate. It was her only chance to save the ones she loved. This had to end.
Alex closed her eyes, but a tear still managed to escape and slid down her face.
I'm so sorry, mom.
Piper hadn't left. She had flinched when Alex had slammed the door behind her. She was hurt and scared, but she didn't want to leave. She couldn't. She knew that Alex would leave the island the first chance she got, and it would be their forever farewell. Alex would be gone and, very likely, be killed, trying to save Diane. It was how Kubra had meant it. It was how it was supposed to be no matter how hard Piper had tried to divert its course.
Then Piper heard a quiet sob. She instantly pressed her ear to the door. It was Alex, and it tore Piper's heart. She knew how much Alex loved her mother, and how she had only Diane to depend on. She regretted lying to Alex, but she wouldn't take it back. No, she wouldn't. She would do it again, if it meant that she could keep Alex from all harms.
Piper rested her face against the door, listening to the soft sobbing. She closed her eyes, and momentarily held her breath as it pained her just to breathe.