Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Victoria

The words struck me into absolute silence. My mind went entirely blank, the sound of the pouring rain completely fading away until all I could hear was my own breathing.

I just stared at him, my mouth slightly open, my throat completely locked up as the shock took over.

He loved me. He had finally said it out loud, stripped of all the walls and pretense, leaving himself entirely bare at my knees.

He didn’t even give me a chance to find my voice. He just kept going, talking fast, like he had to get everything out before I could cut him off.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen, Toria, but you’ve taken over my entire life,” his fingers tightened around my wrists as if he were drowning and I was his only lifeline.

“I can’t function without you anymore. I can’t stay in that apartment alone without hearing your voice. At first… at first you were just this fascinating girl I always saw standing next to Caleb Ashfield. The smart, beautiful engineering nerd who didn give anyone the time of day. I just wanted to know what you were about. I wanted to see what made you tick.”

He let out a ragged breath, the rain slicing across his face as he leaned closer into my space.

“But it built over time. Every single day, every memory we made… it just happened. When we’re apart, all I do is think about the feeling of your body against mine, the way you look at me, those sapphire blue eyes… everything. I’m completely consumed by you, Victoria. I really do love you.”

Hearing him say all that was overwhelming. Something in my chest just gave out, and the tears started coming before I could even try to stop them.

I instantly pulled my hands from his cheeks and clapped them over my eyes, shielding my face as I just sat there on the wet asphalt, sobbing uncontrollably.

It was all too much: the fear, the anger, the relief, and the terrifying realization of how deeply he held my heart.

Elijah didn’t force my hands away; he just kept his large arms locked around my waist, grounding me while the storm raged around us.

Slowly, I dropped my hands from my face, my vision blurry with tears as I looked at his broken expression.

“I’m still so mad at you,” I choked out, my voice cracking as a breathless, tearful laugh escaped me. “I’m so furious with you, Elijah. But I love you. I stupidly, miserably love you too. I don’t even know when it happened. I don’t know how I fell this hard for you, Elijah Carter. What the hell did you do to me?”

A sudden, beautiful sound broke through the noise of the rain-Elijah laughed. It was a rough, relieved sound.

Before the fragile moment could dissipate, he leaned forward, his mouth finding mine in a deep, desperate kiss beneath the pouring rain.

It was a kiss stripped of all the lies and secrets, filled only with the raw, honest hunger of two people who had nearly lost

each other.

The taste of rainwater and salt mingled between us, warm and consuming.

When he finally pulled back slightly, he didn’t let me go. He pressed his forehead firmly against mine, our hot breaths mingling in the freezing night air.

“I’m so sorry, Toria,” he whispered against my lips, his voice thick. “I’m so incredibly sorry for hurting you. I will spend the

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Chapter 114

rest of my life making it up to you.”

I couldn’t help the soft laugh that left my lips, a mixture of joy and lingering exhaustion.

“You better.”

I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck again, burying my face in his shoulder.

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Elijah hooked his arms under my thighs and hauled me up. He spun me around in a circle right there in the middle of the empty, flooded parking lot.

I giggled loudly, the sound echoing off the library walls, all my fears from earlier entirely forgotten.

Before he even let my feet touch the wet ground, he pulled me in and kissed me again.

When he finally set me back on my feet, his hand remained firmly in mine as he led me toward the passenger side of his

car.

We were both completely drenched, our clothes heavy and dripping water onto the pavement, but neither of us cared.

He opened the door and I slid into the warm, leather interior. As soon as the door clicked shut, a rich, savory aroma hit my nose, instantly cutting through the damp smell of rain.

I blinked, looking over my shoulder into the back seat.

Sitting there, right next to my soaked backpack, was a large, beautifully arranged picnic basket filled with containers of food, small pastries, and a thermos.

I turned my head as Elijah climbed into the driver’s seat, water dripping from his hair onto the steering wheel.

“When did you get this?” I asked, my eyes wide. “Had you predicted the rain? Or predicted… all of this?”

Elijah let out a soft, melodic laugh, shaking his head as he reached for a towel in the glove compartment.

“No, Toria. I’m not a psychic. That was just my peace offering for the day. I was planning on leaving it on Adele’s porch tonight, hoping she’d give it to you as always.”

My eyes pooled with tears all over again. He had indeed been working for my forgiveness, quietly and without expectation, even when I was refusing to see him.

The realization settled deep within me, and right then, I decided to let the past go. He had earned his way back.

As he shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the campus lot, silence settled over the cabin. I leaned my head against the headrest, staring out at the blurred streetlights of the city.

I had grown awfully quiet, my mind running through the events of the last hour.

Elijah glanced over at me at the first red light, his brow furrowing slightly.

“What’s wrong, Zhen? You’re quiet.”

I let out a soft sigh, turning my head to look at him.

“What if someone saw us, Elijah? What if someone took a photo?”

“A photo of what?”

“Come on,” I said, my voice tinged with genuine worry. “You kneeling in a parking lot, begging for my forgiveness. Your reputation… your ego. If that gets posted online…”

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Chapter 114

Elijah immediately put the car in park right there on the quiet, rainy driveway of Adele’s neighborhood.

He turned his entire body toward me, his expression completely serious.

“What’s wrong with that?” he asked softly.

“Elijah, you’re a Carter,” I reasoned, gesturing between us. “People look at you a certain way. Your pride-

“None of that matters, Victoria,” he cut in, the total seriousness in his voice making me completely freeze.

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“Especially not when the person I was kneeling to is my queen. Toria, I was on the absolute edge of losing you. Do you have any idea how much that would have killed me? I’d scrape my knees on burning coal if it meant earning your forgiveness. My pride doesn’t mean a damn thing compared to you.”

I forgot how to breathe for a second. The devotion in his eyes, the certainty in his voice, completely overwhelmed me. I didn’t want words anymore.

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