The Reign Of Vause

Piper Vause? MRS Piper Vause?

(Alex's POV)

Flashback

Piper and I had been dating for 2 years now. I thought it was time she became a Vause, or I became a Chapman or we went double barrelled like 'The Vause-Chapmans'. I was ready to settle down. I wanted to. With her. She was the girl of my dreams. She was the love of my life. Let's do it.
I had been to a top jeweller this morning and wanted Piper's ring to be perfect.
"Hi Pierre, I'm looking for a bespoke engagement ring and was wondering what the birthstone for June is?" I asked the jeweller.
"Oh congratulations! And the stone is Alexandrite, it's like a purple diamond, almost like Amethyst." He explained.
"Thank you, but she hasn't said yes yet, I haven't even asked yet." I laughed back then it hit me. Alexandrite?! ALEXandrite. I smiled widely. Piper and I really were meant to be my god her birthstone even had my name in it.
"Well, you clearly think she's going to." He laughed.
"I'm sorry?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"That smile went from ear to ear." He pointed out. I didn't realise I was visibly smiling.
"Anyway Miss Vause what design would you like the ring to have?" He asked.
I knew right away.
"One large square diamond in the middle and two smaller Alexandrite stones at either side of it. Oh and real silver for the band not that cheap shit." I tell him smiling.

Within two hours, Piper's bespoke engagement ring was ready and it was beautifully perfect. I brought it to the light and it sparkled like Piper's eyes. I grinned.
"Pierre it's perfect. How much do I owe you?" I asked.
"$10,000." He smiled and continued,
"Oh and good luck and congratulations MRS Vause." He chuckled as I left the store, black velvet ring box in hand, grinning back at him.

I got back to the apartment and was sitting on mine and Piper's bed with Piper's engagement ring in my hand. Admiring it. Proud of it. Silver and purple really did work well together. I wanted my proposal to her to be perfect and me being me, wanted to plan this meticulously so there were no hitches.

One month later I was fishing for information from Piper. We were lying in bed together. It was a Sunday morning. These kind of moments with my girlfriend were some of my favourite, snuggled in bed with her on a Sunday morning. I wasn't a drug dealer and she wasn't a waitress. It was just us. Piper had quit her job as a waitress in New York to come with me but she wanted something to do other than sight see while I was away for long hours doing my job so in each destination we visited for my work, I pulled a few strings for her.
"Babe, do you think one day we'll ever get married?" I asked her, the engagement ring I'd bought for her vivid in my mind and hiding in the drawer of my nightstand. My question seemed to have taken her by surprise.
"Oh, uh, wow Al. I didn't think you were the type of girl to settle down. I thought you lived for adventure and free-falling through life?" She asked in surprise.
I smiled and let out a small chuckle. She wasn't wrong but at the same time wrong on so many levels.
"Well true. I've never really given marriage much thought in the past but I guess something has changed. Maybe it was meeting you that has done this to me?" I asked her teasingly. It was true. Only Piper could ever tie me down. Only Piper has my love. Only Piper has my full attention and care. Only Piper has my heart.
She smiled and blushed, avoiding my gaze. The sight of this was too cute not to make some kind of move on her so I chuckled and kissed her as I caressed her cheek.
She giggled,
"Well if we did, whose name would we take? Mine or yours or both?"
"Hmmm I don't know, I guess we have time to think about it. We're not even engaged!" I chuckled with the knowledge that I had planned to change that fact very soon.
Piper looked deep in thought.
"What're you thinking babe?" I asked.
"I want to be a Vause. I mean, if we ever get married. I want to be a Vause." She stated.
"You do?" I asked.
"Well yeah, it makes sense Al. Your mom and you are the only Vauses left right? I mean I know there's your Aunt but she's married now right? So that means she's not a Vause anymore. If I became a Vause and we had kids, it would add to the Vause family and I have two brothers, they could keep the Chapman name alive but I could keep the Vause name alive if we got married Al!" She rambled but it was a cute, wonderful ramble. It looked like she was saying things as ideas came to her. It was such a wonderful thing to say. It was such a wonderful thought. It was so beautiful and so thoughtful. No one had ever cared this much for me before and it warmed my heart so much. My insides turned to jelly and it felt like she was hugging my heart. It made me agree with myself. Piper was the one. I was right to buy an engagement ring for this particular girl. I wanted to marry the love of my life and make it soon please. I didn't know what to say so all I did was grin with all the happiness I felt at her gesture and kissed her deeply.
"Ok Mrs Vause, you've got yourself a deal." I smiled as she smiled back and we kissed.

It was now 3 months later and I had no fiancé. Fuck, I didn't even have a girlfriend anymore either. I had been in the middle of planning Piper's perfect proposal while juggling my tight work schedule so I hadn't asked her yet. I couldn't ask her now, she'd left me a month ago in my apartment in Paris. I knew we were headed to Paris again since Kubra knew I was planning on proposing there so sent me alone with Piper. I had it hiding in the bottom drawer underneath my leather jackets so Piper wouldn't find it. The day she left and after I'd made phone calls about my mom's funeral, I began to pack to go home alone and when I got to packing my leather jackets, it fell out. I picked it up, sat on the end of the bed and cried, holding Piper's now redundant engagement ring.
I was currently sitting in a bar in Istanbul after having done the job I'd begged Piper to do before she refused and left me. I was drowning my sorrows and holding the engagement ring I'd made especially for her between my thumb and forefinger as I drank. Pining for my lost love.
Since it had been a month, I now had the ring through a chain around my neck. It was now a necklace that I wore everywhere and never took off. It was precious and painful to me so I kept it tucked in my cleavage so no one knew about it but me. Staring at it, I drank more and more, loving and hating Piper more and more. Thinking about how magical my proposal would've been if she'd said yes. If it had actually happened.