Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 169

I Know That Pain

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VICTORIA’s POV

Elijah guided me out of the dining room and into the hallway, his arm settling around my waist as we headed toward the staircase.

His hand rested comfortably against my hip, keeping me tucked close to his side.

“You doing alright?” he asked softly, his lips brushing against my temple as we walked.

I gave him a slight nod, keeping my head tucked against his shoulder.

“I’m okay.”

When we reached the second floor, we turned into the hallway and nearly walked straight into Caleb.

He was holding Lexi’s hand, leading her toward his room.

For a moment, our eyes met. Caleb stopped, his expression giving nothing away. He didn’t greet us or say a word.

After a beat, he looked away, opened his door, and disappeared inside with Lexi.

I stared at the closed door for a few seconds.

I couldn’t help wondering what had happened to the person I’d thought I knew so well.

Elijah opened our door and waited for me to step inside before following. He closed it behind us, then leaned against it, watching me.

“How are you feeling about all of this?”

I stood near the foot of the bed and let out a tired breath, folding my arms across my chest.

“I feel terrible for Nova,” I admitted. “And I’m confused. I don’t even know Caleb anymore. Or maybe…” I looked down at the rug. “Maybe I never knew him as well as I thought I did.”

Elijah stayed quiet.

A thought I’d been trying to push away all morning came back to me.

“Elijah?”

“Hmm?”

“Was it really that obvious?”

His eyebrows drew together slightly.

1/4

14:45 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

“What?”

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“Me and Caleb. Back then.” I looked at him. “When I was completely in love with him. Could everyone tell?”

A small smile tugged at his mouth.

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

I swallowed hard, blinking back a sudden prickle of tears. I turned my shoulder toward the window so he wouldn’t see the hurt on my face.

“Yeah,” he finally answered, his voice dropping an octave as he took a step toward me.

“It was pretty obvious to anyone who paid attention. You don’t even have to be looking closely. People who have loved someone–or who understand how body language works–could pick up on the way you looked at him in a heartbeat. You left clues everywhere. You thought you had it all covered up, but you really didn’t.”

The truth stung my pride. I felt foolish instantly.

If it had been that obvious to everyone else, then Caleb had known too.

He’d known for years. And he’d still let me stay there, waiting for him.

I shook my head, quickly shoving the thought into the dark corners of my mind. I didn’t want to go that rabbit hole today.

“I’m going to go check on Nova,” I said, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between us.

Elijah stepped into my space, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

His thumb lightly traced my cheekbone, his expression softening into pure warmth.

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“Go on,” he murmured. “Just don’t overstress yourself or overthink things today. It’s not good for you, or for the baby.”

A small, genuine smile finally touched my lips. “I won’t.”

He leaned down, pressing a warm kiss against my lips before stepping back to let me pass.

I left the room and walked down the quiet corridor toward the other wing.

As I rounded the corner leading to Nova and Adele’s shared room, I found Leo clearly heading toward the exact same door.

When Leo saw me, a warm grin broke across his face, and he offered a light wave.

“Hey, Victoria.”

He reached for the door handle, but as his hand touched the metal, he paused, noticing my intention. He pulled his hand back with an easy chuckle.

2/4

14:45 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

86

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“Go ahead,” Leo said, stepping back to give me space. “You go in first. I can come back later.”

“No, Leo, it’s fine,” I argued politely, gesturing toward the door. “You were here first.”

He let out a low laugh, shaking his head.

“Ladies first. I don’t break the rules.”

I laughed under my breath. “Alright, if you insist.”

“I do,” he said, giving me a quick, playful salute before turning on his heel and strolling back toward the main stairwell.

I stood there for a split second, my eyes narrowing as I watched him walk away.

The way he had been staring at Nova during breakfast, and now him coming up to check on her… a quiet question began to form in my mind, but I set it aside as I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

The room was dim, the curtains drawn to block out the morning sun.

Nova was sitting on the very edge of the mattress, her elbows resting heavy on her knees, her shoulders trembling as quiet, muffled sobs shook her frame.

“Nova?” I whispered softly, closing the door behind me.

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