You are my life

You're not Piper

(Alex's POV)

Hmmm.
So Piper was running behind huh?
I think maybe Zelda and I need to have another little chat.
Straighten things out.
Piper did get numerous attempts at that with McCullough after all.
So, non-profit Zelda, I think it's time we had another discussion.
Hopefully before Pipes gets there.

Obviously Piper thought the only method of transportation in this city was taxis. Has she ever heard of the subway? I guess she was my little WASP after all.

I rush to change back into the clothes I had on yesterday upon my release since all my other stuff was in my storage locker and grabbing my keycard to the suite, I head out.
Taking the stairs.
Elevators were never a good idea at lunch time. Especially in this city.

Piper thought I didn't know where they were meeting but while we were in the bedroom together this morning, picking out an outfit for her, I noticed she'd scribbled the restaurant's address on a post-it and left it on her nightstand. I'd smirked when I saw it, hoping I'd get this opportunity.

Leaving the hotel, I was reminded of why I love this city so much but hate it simultaneously. It was always busy. It never slept. New York. The city that never sleeps.
Right now it was a curse.
I needed to get there before Piper did.
Fighting the crowds of afternoon rush hour, I speed walk down the steps into the nearest subway station and board the train I need to get me to the part of Manhattan that Zelda the wife snatcher was meeting my wife.

The building the restaurant was in wasn't too far from the station when I climbed up the steps into the bustle of the city again. Once I'd found it, I jogged across the street and hopped into the elevator, pressing the button for 'rooftop'.
Entering the restaurant, I immediately felt so out of place which was odd because in a swanky place like this, I used to feel right at home.
Prison definitely changes you.
I was surrounded by people my in-laws would love to mix with and here I was showing up in black jeans, a ratty band T-shirt and a worn black leather jacket that still smelled of booze and cigarettes even after all this time.
I immediately spot the red-headed thorn in my side by the window and to my luck, the blonde-headed love of my life was still held up somewhere in the city.
"Hello ma'am can I get you a table or are you meeting with anyone today?" The waitress asks me as if butter wouldn't melt. She looked about 22 and fresh out of college. I smiled internally when visions of a 22 year old waitress Piper sprung to mind.
I give her a false smile.
My business smile.
"Hi. Yeah, I'm meeting that red head by the window." I tell her.
"Of course ma'am. Enjoy your meal." She smiles again.
I nod and make my way to Zelda.
Oh I'd enjoy something alright but it wouldn't be food.

Taking Zelda completely by surprise, I slide into Piper's seat in front of her.
"Well, this is a cosy little table for two." I snark in greeting.
Veiling a threat.
Veiling yet revealing my jealousy.
Still looking stunned, she says rather bluntly,
"You're not Piper."
I snort,
"Well, you may be stupid to pick a fight with me but you're not blind, I'll give you that."
Zelda holds up her hand in surrender,
"Look Alex I don't want any trouble. I'm only here because Piper invited me."
Okay.
Time to get serious.
"Relax. I only want to talk to you. Believe me, Piper punished me greatly for threatening you so unless you provoke me, it won't happen again. I like it better when my wife doesn't punish me." I start.
"Well maybe if you controlled yourself she wouldn't have to punish you." She snarks.
I glare at her.
"Like I said. I won't threaten you again unless I'm provoked." I warn.
We stare at each other for a while before Zelda cracks and asks,
"What are you doing here Alex? What can I do for you?"
"I want to know why you continued to go after Piper when you knew she was committed to me." I tell her.
Her shoulders visibly sag in relief with the knowledge that I wasn't going to pin her against a wall again.. yet.
It was almost as if she was deflating.
"Honestly? I genuinely like, liked her." She starts but corrects herself when she sees my glare at her use of present tense 'like'.
"But that didn't and doesn't matter because she adores you. She refused to do anything more with me until she found out about that CO of yours." Zelda tells me and I once again feel the huge weight of my guilt wash over me to the point I had to look down.
I sigh before I look back at her and say,
"That CO was the second biggest mistake of my life."
"What was the first?" She asks.
The answer was none of her business but if she told Piper what the answer was, maybe I'd scrape back some brownie points. So I tell her.
"Sending Piper to prison." I tell her bluntly and continue,
"The CO was a way for me to survive in prison. You heard my testimony. I used her to protect myself from another guard and to protect my heart from Piper. I'm not going into details because what happened 11 years ago is between Piper and I but let's just say if she ran off with you it wouldn't be the first time she left me broken hearted. So the CO was an insurance policy if you will. Because the thought of Piper moving on haunted me. I couldn't and can't bear it. I thought she was moving on. With you. I thought she didn't want me anymore and that CO blatantly did. I didn't want her back but Piper-"
I stop myself from going on.
I was sharing my feelings with a woman I didn't even trust and that is something I never do.
Especially this woman.
Plus, being reminded of the thoughts I had of Piper moving on and what had transpired between us recently was forming a lump in my throat.
"Well if you're going to be honest with me I might as well open up to you too." Zelda starts.
I look at her in confusion.
"I can't tell you how lost and broken Piper was when you broke up with her." She begins, making the lump in my throat bigger.
What she'd just confessed to me broke something in me.
That image of a lost and broken Piper because of me was something I was finding very hard to handle and was the reason I broke up with her in the first place. I wanted her to go and be happy. Not broken. Not lost.
"I saw that so I invited her to come with me to Northampton. To be honest I thought you left her for that other woman so I assumed she was free to come with me and start again but again she refused to give up on you. On her love for you. There's no need for you to be jealous of me Alex. Piper loves you." Zelda tells me.
This makes me see even more clearly how Piper would always choose me now.
She proposed for a reason.
She always said she couldn't imagine forever with someone and she proposed 'forever' to me. In her words.
God I was so stupid!
"Well it didn't help that you posted the two of you all over your Instagram and honestly, seeing the love of your life all over another woman's Instagram hurts like hell. I can't tell you how insecure it made me feel that Piper found someone else to spoil her when I was the one that used to do that for her. When it's supposed to be me being there for her." I counter.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted people to think I was with Piper because she's so great." She apologises then admits.
I smile at her and nod,
"Well that is definitely something we agree on but Piper actually is with me and I'd love it to stay that way."
I say, feeling the need to reiterate this information.
Piper is mine.
Speaking of.

From the corner of my eye I see my favourite blonde approaching with her nose in her phone.
So I quickly tell Zelda,
"You can tell Piper I was here if you want. You can tell her why. I don't care. I refuse to let our relationship be ruined any further by being built on lies and secrets."
Using Piper's distraction to my advantage, I excuse myself from Zelda and slip away, going a different route to the exit so Piper wouldn't see me.