The Reign Of Vause

Piper's book

(Larry's POV)

After laughing with Piper's brothers and talking to Cal about last minute things to do before my wedding tomorrow, they sent me up to bed having both been married before.
"Trust me, you don't want to be late for your own wedding." Danny had said laughing.

I was currently in the Chapmans' very large living room and the book Neri had been reading caught my eye. Curious, I picked it up from the coffee table to see what she had been reading about and the bookmark fell out when I lifted it.
"Shit." I muttered as I stooped to retrieve it. Before I put it back in the book to the place it was holding, the image on the bookmark which was in fact a Polaroid image, caught my eye. My eyes widened. This was Piper's book. Not Neri's.
The Polaroid was well worn, dog-eared, had small little rips from where it had been folded too much and was obviously frequently looked at. I couldn't stop staring at it.
The picture in the Polaroid was a very raunchy image of Alex in black lingerie with her typical winged eyeliner and bright red lipstick. She looked so different to what she looks like now, her hair was longer and had blue extension tips, she wasn't wearing her glasses, beckoning with her index finger in a 'come hither' way and smirking into the camera which I can only assume Piper was holding. At the bottom of the Polaroid was Piper's handwriting which read,
"My sexy Alex-2004."
I had been staring at the image for quite a while. Too long apparently because I'd completely zoned out of my surroundings until I heard a deep "Ehem" behind me.

(Alex's POV)

After quite a nice conversation with Piper's parents, I went to the living room to grab Piper's book to bring it back to her. Neri had finished it and Piper had obviously forgotten to take it back when she went to bed so I thought I'd do it for her. I was greeted by Larry holding it and staring at something he had in his other hand. As I moved closer, I saw he was staring at a revealing picture of me. Before I let him know I was there, I smiled at the picture though. Piper had been using it as a bookmark. It was a photo we'd taken of us fooling around back in 2004 in Rio De Janeiro.
Piper had bought a Polaroid camera while sightseeing as I was conducting business that day, she had been drugged that night in a club and it was my way to make it up to her since I felt responsible for taking her to that club for me to carry out a business deal. I always would feel responsible for anything that happened to Piper in my presence. I had failed at protecting her. Ever since then, I'd always thought and cursed myself that if my horny 26 year old self hadn't wanted to see Piper in a tight, clingy, sexy dress and had left her in the comfort of our luxury hotel suite, her veins wouldn't have been pumped full of the date rape drug. The perpetrator was quickly found and brought to justice though.
I cleared my throat from behind Larry.
"Ehem."
He spun around like a deer in the headlights and began to stammer.
"Alex I... I was just.... I thought it was Neri's.... this fell out and I.... I just picked it up and...-"
"Stared at it." I cut him off, folding my arms. This was a picture that was only meant for Piper's eyes and I guess mine.
"Sorry I... here." He said.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Vanessa slink upstairs. Larry had noticed too and quickly went to go be with her.
I waited for a few minutes then followed, wanting to be with Piper, book and Polaroid in hand.