The Reign Of Vause

The One That Got Away- An Alex Flashback

(Alex's POV)

As Piper and I were strolling hand in hand down a sidewalk beside the Hudson in Queens in our moment of revelations, we came across this quaint little restaurant that was playing 'One That Got Away', the Boyce Avenue cover version. When Piper broke my heart 7 years ago, it was all I would listen to when I got bored of rock. Like the song said, when I missed her, I put that on because it reminded me of her. I couldn't stop thinking about how I had found out she was engaged and how she and Larry had confirmed it to me when I landed her in prison. It was heartbreaking. Losing Piper was one thing but the thought that I had lost her for good to someone else was a completely different thing. In prison, I had to see if there was even the slightest hope that she still loved me even half as much as I loved her. The times she went to visitation to see Larry, the luckiest guy in the world, it broke my heart and I often found myself using the other inmates' prison uniforms as a punching bag when I was alone in laundry.
If I was being honest, when I knew she was coming to Litchfield, the same prison I was in, I was praying that she wouldn't be as hot as I remembered but damn, she was.
My feelings for her never went away, not even for a second and when she walked into that rec-room for prison orientation, my heart skipped a beat. She didn't have the long, wavy, golden hair that she used to have but that was okay. She still looked like my Piper. My hot, heartbreaking, angry Piper.
I knew she was coming to this 'class' so every time someone came to sit next to me I always said "Sorry that seat is taken" praying that Piper would walk through the doors and not have anywhere else to sit. It was either beside me or a broken chair in the row behind. When she came in our eyes locked, emerald meeting sapphire once again. I gestured to the chair beside me with my head in a 'come hither' way but as I thought, she chose the broken chair. She had every right to be angry with me I guess, hell, I was still pissed at her but my feelings once again betrayed me; as soon as my eyes landed on her, they couldn't stay off her. She sat on the broken chair in the row behind and I kept stealing glances at her, I even caught her glancing back at me. That was when I decided to get my girl back. Fiancé or not.

Flashback

It had been years since Piper had left me and she was still my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night. I had ratted her out to the Feds today. Piper. The love of my life. This morning giving my testimony, I was in a 'Fuck you and fuck life' sort've mood since I was headed to prison no matter what so when I was asked to give names for less time I happily gave up the mules that were expendable. "Anyone else?'" They had asked. Piper came to my mind yet again. Now I was torn, my head was saying 'Do it. She hurt you, she left you when your mom died, she hasn't spoken to you in 8 years and hey if you get sent to the same prison you might even get a chance with her again.' And my heart was saying 'Don't do it Alex. Don't. You love her with every fibre of your being. You never stop thinking about her. Why would you do this to her? You claim she's the love of your life, if you do this you'll never get a chance with her again anyway.'
My mouth then said, "Yes. Piper Chapman."

I was currently in a bar drowning my sorrows with Frenchy beside me after sharing our 'stories of love pain'. He had asked me about my 'Love Is Pain' tattoo that I'd once gotten for Piper. As I was explaining it I called her 'my girlfriend', even after 6 years of being without her, wishful thinking I guess. I even thought that this dude who I'd never met before, called me out on me calling her my girlfriend when in fact she was my EX girlfriend until I realised he was hitting on me.
An annoying yet familiar voice then rang out from behind me. I stiffened when I heard it and stayed facing forward because I instantly knew it was Piper's annoying best friend, Polly. I disliked her but I wasn't about to move and show myself after what I'd done to Piper today. Plus, she may have news on my beloved ex that I was hopelessly devoted to even after a devastating breakup. 8 years later and not one girl that followed even came close to her. No one compared and it sucked.
Polly didn't know I was here listening though.
"Hey guys did you hear the news?!" She asked loudly and excitedly.
"What? What news?" Two men replied. One was Piper's younger brother Cal, who I definitely did not want to be spotted by after mine and Piper's breakup and what I had done today. The other I didn't know, meaning he was probably someone to do with Polly.
"Piper is engaged!!" Polly screams.
I was lost for air. No. This couldn't be happening. Piper had every right to move on, it wasn't her fault that I just couldn't. I was now completely floored. I was hopelessly in love with someone who would now never love me back again. I had lost her. For good. I wanted to leave and speed home in my Porsche in tears but curiosity got the better of me so I stayed to hear some more.
"What?! My sister is engaged and I didn't know? Well who is the unlucky guy, haha or girl?" Cal quips. I looked down at my drink sadly, well at least Cal hadn't forgotten my existence, unlike Piper.
"Pete, you know our neighbour Larry?" Polly asks.
"Yeah?" The other man called Pete answers.
"Him!" She squeals happily and continued,
"Ugh, I wanted to set her up with him from day one when she left that troublemaker Alex. I wonder what innocent girl she's replaced as the next Piper?" She cruelly snarks. I turned my head slightly when I heard her talk about me. I was so close to marching over there and saying 'No one, you know why?! Because no one can replace that beautiful, blonde, heartbreaking best friend of yours!' But I didn't and stayed put. Tears forming in my eyes once more thanks to Piper.
"They're coming by here in a bit to show you the ring!" She continued.
Shit. Piper was coming. Here. I really had to go now, after what I'd done today, I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror never mind the love of my life who broke my heart in two that I'd screwed over. If I saw Piper I'd either break down and scream at her for leaving me, kiss her and never stop or slap her. She was engaged?!
"Are you okay miss?"
I snapped my head up. The bar tender was watching me, as I looked up at her another tear fell down my cheek.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I lied, got up from my bar stool and quickly slapped a $50 bill on the counter. I may have been drinking the best strong stuff tonight.
"Looks like you're not the only one when it comes to the love of your life marrying someone else." I muttered to Frenchy and rushed out, making my hair fall so Polly, Cal and Pete wouldn't see me.

I slumped into the driver's seat of my Porsche and slammed the door shut behind me. In the confines of my car with the roof currently up, I let it out. I cried for her again. I cried for the love that I now knew would never come back to me. I cried for all the memories that we shared together. I cried at my once again broken heart. I started the ignition and opened the glove compartment on the passenger side. I took out a small tube of heroin and took it. I sped off back to my lonely apartment that Piper once shared.
Once in, I got into my pyjamas, grabbed a box of tissues, went to the closet and took out a picture of Piper and myself from my 'LOVE MEMORIES' box and went to my player to put the Boyce Avenue cover of 'One That Got Away' on and crawled into bed, singing along and hugging the picture. Crying.

"Summer after high school when we first met.
We make out in your Mustang to Radiohead.
And on your 18th birthday we got matching tattoos.
Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof.
Talk about our future like we had a clue.
Never plan that one day I'd be losing you.
And in another life you would be my girl.
We keep all our promises, be us against the world.
In other life I would make you stay.
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away.
The one that got away.
You were dreaming I was your Johnny Cash.
Never one without the other we made a pact.
Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on ohh.
Someone said you had your tattoo removed.
Saw you downtown singing the blues.
It's time to face the music I'm longer your muse.
But in another life you would be my girl.
We keep all our promises, be us against the world.
In another life I would make you stay.
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away.
The one that got away
The one the one the one
The one that got away
All these money can't buy me a time machine, no.
I can't replace you with a million rings, no.
I should've told you what you meant to me whoa.
'Cause now I pay the price.
In another life you would be my girl.
We keep all our promises, be us against the world.
In another life I would make you stay.
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away.
The one that got away
The one the one the one the one
The one that got away."

When the song finished, I noticed a message flashing on my landline. I went to listen to what it was, it was just my lawyer drafting out more details of what I should expect. I then went through my other messages and there was one from years ago I'd never gotten for some reason. It was Piper's voice, talking about the fish tattoo she'd gotten in Tahiti,

"Hey Alex babe, I've got a surprise for youuuu! We come home tomorrow so I'll show you then and maybe you'll get this message...and I'll get embarrassed aah I'm just so excited! Being with you is so exciting and makes me do crazy stuff! Alright you've just come out of the bathroom so I better go. Love you! Bye."

I smiled at the cuteness and pure Piper innocence of this message but this made me pine for her even more. A silent tear dripped onto the phone and I couldn't stop replaying this message, inflicting more heartache on myself but I had to hear her voice again, I had to hear her say "we" and "being with you is so exciting". I had to hear her say "Love you" because it was probably the last time I would hear it from her.