How to NOT be alone in New York

Step 3. Spill all your problems to a really hot stranger

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?
All my favorite conversations
Always made in the a.m.
- One Direction (A.M)

Karlissa smith
27 December

I did it.

I finally let it all out.

And to a stranger I met 20 minutes ago but I'm desperate here. It was either this or quietly sulking in my corner for 4 days waiting for Delilah. Besides, I think it's easier telling something to a stranger because you might never see them again so-

"Wow he sounds like a dick" he blurts out then his eyes widen and he looks at me scared like he thinks I may take offense

I take a sip of my coffee "trust me I know"

He silently sighs in relief

"So what's wrong with your life?" I ask

He freezes for a second and then he composes himself

"Why do u assume I have something wrong in my life?" He asks back

"Dude c'mon" he laughs a little

"my problem isn't exactly mine, it's my parents'." I nod for him to continue

"Well, you see my parents had an arranged marriage because of money and shit. They never really got along and it was all for business and now they fight. A lot"

"So it's like one of those cliché stories where the CEO is forced to marry the businessman's daughter for the business till they fall in love?" I ask and he nods

"The only difference is they didn't fall in love" he shrugs like it doesn't bother him but I know it must bother him.

"So what is it like to have parents who are in love?" He changes the topic

"I wouldn't know, my parents are workaholics. My dad is in the merchant navy so he's gone most of the time and my mom is a businesswoman. They were in love at some point but I don't know maybe they just got distanced. That's why I was worried about having a long-distance relationship" I mumbled the last part

"Didn't you say you had a sibling?" I ask after a minute.

He nods "a brother, yes. He's a year older than me and in his first year of college" I nod

"It must be fun to have siblings. The only siblings I had were my first cousins. I am really close to my mom's brother" I add

"I bet he's cool"

"Oh, he is." I laugh at a memory "my mom was married before him and I was 2 when he got married and I remember when my cousin was born I cried because I thought he was gonna steal my uncle away from me" lev chuckled "yeah I may have been a little too dramatic as a 3-year-old"

"Where is he now?" He asks

"He moved away. I was ready to pack myself in a suitcase and move with them." I smile sadly and realized how much I missed him

"Why did he move? If it's alright with me asking"

I smile as if telling him it was alright "I don't remember exactly but I know something happened between him and mom, I just remember them fighting, which was normal because they always bickered like siblings. I was playing with my cousins and then my uncle shouted then I knew this wasn't a normal bicker but I couldn't do anything about it so I just looked after my 2 cousins because all the adults were downstairs. then my uncle came up and he was angry so I didn't say anything to him and went to bed. then he woke me up at 5 am telling me he was leaving." I was zoned out thinking about that morning

"I am coming with you. nobody wants me here anyways, mom is always disappointed in me and dad will leave again in a month, without you I will be alone here" I cried andhugged him tightly. uncle kevin pushed me slightly to look at me

"don't talk like that. your mom loves you and so does your dad, they just have a different way of showing it. just be a good girl and once everything is okay, I will call you and bring you to me and we can spend the summer together" he smiled but he had tears in his eyes

"promise?" I asked

he laughed "promise"

I smile because I knew he would never break a promise

he didn't call me once after leaving

I remember I would wait by the phone waiting for his call.

and the worst part is I couldn't say bye to my cousin AKA my only siblings whom I loved so much. they were asleep when my uncle left so I just kissed their cheeks and murmured a 'love you'

my mom didn't say bye to uncle Kevin or aunt Devina. but she cried for days after they left, she really loved her brother but she didn't stop him and I hate her for that

I noticed I was crying again and lev was looking at me with a worried face. I wipe my cheeks and laughed bitterly

"sorry I am ruining your night with my miserable life" I look at my almost empty mug

"it's fine. you have to tell someone. do u know where your uncle moved?" he asked

"no" I shake my head

Lev and I talked for a while. I told him more about my family and he told me about his parent's dilemma.

here's what I learned about lev's nature in the 2 hours of talking to him-

he is really blunt with his words. he speaks his mind and I think it takes a lot of confidence to do that

he's really quiet.

he's very observant

and he's really handsome

the last one was obvious and I know I just got out of a relationship but I cant help that he is attractive

but I know I will be more careful about who I like more now

we parted ways with a promise to get ice cream and with each other's numbers

as I got in bed I kept thinking about Lev and Liam and how different they are from each other.

maybe being in New York for the new year won't be that bad

just maybe