100 Reasons to Leave Chapter 2

The brick sidewalks of Black Mountain left my feet aching.

Following the location in Mike’s note, I arrived at a cozy B&B that was still being renovated.

A rough wooden sign leaned against the porch, with the words, “Ava and Mike’s Little Hideaway” written in marker.

I stood in the shadows across the street while Mike stepped onto a ladder to hang a handcrafted wind chime beneath the porch roof.

A young woman stepped outside carrying a mason jar of iced tea.

Getting on her tiptoes, she brought the drink to his lips.

Mike leaned down and drank straight from the jar in her hands. Once the liquid went down his throat, he climbed down the ladder and wiped the sweat off the girl’s forehead with his sleeve, his gesture practiced as if he had done so many times before. He moved with care, afraid to hurt her in the slightest.

“Tired? Leave the heavy lifting to me. Don’t go blistering your hands.”

The Mike I knew wouldn’t even pick up his own socks.

Every time I asked him to change a lightbulb, he would tell me to call the maintenance office myself.

Yet there he was, handling every heavy job without being asked.

Ava rested her head against Mike’s arm, her voice crisp and airy.

“Mike, are you sure your wife won’t be upset over your purchases?”

Without missing a beat, Mike tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“She only cares about my paycheck. She doesn’t understand me at all. You get me, Ava. You’re my soul mate.”

My heart dropped, squeezing every breath from my lungs.

My stomach rolled violently.

I turned away and leaned against a stone retaining wall, dry heaving until my throat burned, but nothing came up.

No tears came.

Drawing a few deep breaths, I pulled out my phone and placed a video call to Mike.

The line rang three times before going dead.

Later, Mike called back on audio, his voice dripping with annoyance.

“Honey, I’m doing community visits right now. I’m with a few county officials, so this isn’t a good time right now.”

Across the street, I watched Mike anxiously step away from Ava to find a quiet spot to talk.

Shoved aside, Ava bit her lip and stared intently at the photo in Mike’s grasp.

I stared at the back of his silhouette, my voice flat.

“Babe, surprise! I’m in Black Mountain. I’m right outside a local jewelry shop. Do you want to come out and pick me up?”

Mike froze and nearly dropped his phone to the ground.

Whipping his head around frantically, he began pacing erratically toward the top of the street.

“W-Why didn’t you listen to me? Which street are you on right now? Don’t wander off. The roads around here are a maze.”

Ava went up to take his hand, but Mike brushed her off violently.

I replied, “Fooled you. I’m not there.”

Mike stopped and heaved a sigh of relief.

“You almost gave me a heart attack. I’m still out in the field. I’ve got to go. My superior is looking for me.”

Once the call ended, I stared at the new message popping up on my phone.

I got a DM on my social media work account.

The sender’s handle was Ava from the Mountains.

“Hello there, Cloud. I came across your interior design portfolio online and absolutely love your work.

“My boyfriend and I are opening a local B&B in Black Mountain soon. We’d love to bring you on to help style the interiors and create some social media content for the launch.”

I tapped on her avatar and stared at that familiar face before typing out a reply.

“Sure.”