Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Author’s POV

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“Listen up,” Miller started, his tone rough but grounded. “We’ve put in the work. You’ve run the drills until your legs gave out, and you’ve executed the plays until they’re second nature. But opening game isn’t just about physical conditioning. It’s about mental fortitude.”

He pointed a finger toward Elijah, then shifted his gaze across the rest of the core group.

“You guys are the spine of this team,” Miller continued. “When the pressure gets brutal out there in the seventh inning, the rest of the bench is going to look to you five to see if we’re flinching. If you break, the whole field breaks. Leave your personal baggage, your distractions, and your doubts outside that dugout fence. You step onto that dirt as a unit, or we lose before the first pitch is thrown. Understood?”

“Yes, Coach,” the group called out in unison.

“Good. Pack up the gear and get some rest. We’ve got a big week ahead.”

As the squad dispersed, the noise of chatter and rustling sports bags filled the air.

Miles and Nate grabbed the water coolers, while Jace and Leo headed toward the locker rooms, leaving Elijah near the dugout as he unbuttoned his jersey and pulled off his cap.

Elijah dragged a hand through his damp hair, a heavy sigh escaping his chest. The physical fatigue of practice was nothing compared to the persistent noise in his head.

Every quiet moment brought Victoria’s face back to his mind: the look of hurt, the bitter exchange, the quiet anger from the encounter.

He desperately wanted to reach out to her, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it yet. He felt the urgent need to get to the bottom of things first.

Whoever had manufactured that rumor and leaked that picture had a clear goal: they wanted to force a permanent separation between him and Victoria.

Elijah knew that if he ran back now without answers, he would just be playing into their hands.

He had to give the mastermind the satisfaction of thinking their plan had worked, making them feel safe enough to drop their guard while he searched for the truth.

He was particularly convinced that the culprit was someone operating from the inside, someone close to them who knew exactly which buttons to push.

A shadow fell over his gear bag. Elijah looked up to see Caleb stepping into the dugout, holding a baseball and casually tossing it from hand to hand.

Nothing about Caleb looked out of place. He stood there smiling with the rest of the team, but there was something in his expression that felt… off.

Elijah couldn’t have explained it a month ago. Now, he couldn’t stop noticing it.

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15:47 Fri, Jul 24

Chapter 139

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40

“Rough session out there,” Caleb remarked, catching the ball with a soft leather snap. “Coach really worked the infielders hard.”

“It’s opening week.” Elijah replied flatly, unlacing his cleats. “It is what it is.”

Caleb leaned against the wooden bench, resting his shoulder against the support beam. He tossed the ball up once more, catching it effortlessly.

“So,” Caleb started, his tone light, almost conversational. “Word on the street is you and Victoria finally hit the skids. Quiet around the apartment these days, huh?”

Elijah paused, his fingers freezing on his shoelaces. He didn’t look up immediately, letting the silence stretch between them.

When he finally raised his head, his face was unreadable.

“Is that right?” Elijah asked quietly.

Caleb chuckled, a breezy, amused sound that felt entirely out of place given the subject.

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