Contaminated [Modern Kylo Ren AU]

Chapter II - Welcome to New York

TW: Mature language, 18+

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"Fucking move! What the hell are you doing?!" An abrasive man yelled from the street down below, following his shouting by pounding on his car horn repeatedly.

"Jesus, fuck." You whined to yourself squeezing your temples as you rolled your body to face away from the open window in your bedroom.

Your head was pounding, and your throat ached from dehydration. Reaching across your bed to check your phone on your nightstand, you noticed that you still didn't have any notifications. Luckily, you thought ahead in your drunken state last night, and had left a glass of water on the bedside table. You gulped down half the glass, and closed your eyes to hide from the harsh sunlight.

All was quiet in the apartment, aside from the commotion in the street down below. Both Jo and Liz had already left for work.

With the apartment empty, you figured it would be a great time to get more settled in your space, and get ready for your last day of relaxation. You tried to get up out of bed and instantly got dizzy as your head continued to rattle. It probably would be a good idea to shower and have some coffee first. You took your time in the shower, letting the hot water relax your muscles, which were still sore from moving all of the boxes. Throwing on a pair of cropped leggings, and an oversized henley, you let your long hair fall from your towel; you then made your way into the kitchen, searching for caffeine.

"Where the hell is the coffee," you sighed to yourself, searching through the limited cupboards, not leaving a stone unturned. You quickly realized there was none to be found. Resigned, you grabbed your keys and left the apartment in a rush--now on the hunt for a fresh brewed cup of coffee. The sidewalks were empty, it was now just past 10 AM and the workday rush was long gone. You felt your wet hair brush your shoulder as the humid breeze rushed through you. Spotting a Starbucks halfway down the next block,  you found yourself instantly comforted by it's familiarity. Walking up to the counter, you rifled in your purse for your wallet, and ordered a sweet cream cold brew--your go-to order.

"That'll be $5.35."

You opened your wallet searching for the card you had used the night before. "Fuck," you sighed to yourself as you rubbed your hand over the back of your now damp neck.

"I'm sorry, one second," You looked up at the cashier, worry laced in your eyes.

"Sure, no problem," she smiled back at you.

You searched through your purse again, hoping to find the card tucked in a pocket. You could always use your phone to pay, if you hadn't left it on the kitchen counter. Today really was headed on the wrong track.

Defeated, you turned back to the cashier, "I just realized I don't have my card, can you cancel my order?"

"Of course!" The girl tapped the screen and called up the next customer as you stepped off to the side.

You were starting to panic. That was your only card, and you had only been in the city a day.

Thinking back to the night before, you realized your mistake. You gave the bartender your card to keep your tab open, and when Kylo Ren had covered your tab, you failed to ask for your card back.

Heading back to the apartment in a hurry, you tried to remember the name of the bar. You climbed the stairs to your walk-up two at a time, and grabbed your phone off the kitchen counter. Plugging in the name to the bar on Google Maps, you found that it was a fifteen minute walk from your apartment.

You left the apartment again in a rush, leaving a cloud of stress behind you. Fifteen minutes later, you found yourself in front of the same bar you were at the night before. The lights inside were dimmed, and you had a bad feeling as you tugged on the door. It didn't budge. You felt tears prick at the corners of your eyes, you were tired and frustrated with the direction your morning had gone. You pound your fists on the door, hoping someone was working at this hour.