Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 171

The Reason Why

Caleb’s POV

…

“…and that’s why I left. I’m sorry, Caleb,” she whispered.

86

55 vouchers

I sat motionless on the edge of the wooden desk chair, my eyes locked on her. The silence in the room stretched wide between us.

I searched her face, examining every line, every slight twitch around her eyes, trying to figure out if this was genuine or just another well–rehearsed performance.

Lexi seemed to crumple right in front of me. She slouched on the opposite corner of my bed, her shoulders pulled inward as she picked mindlessly at the hem of her floral dress.

The arrogant composure she usually wore like armor was completely gone.

My gaze drifted down toward the floor near the closet where her leather duffel rested.

“You walked in here carrying a designer bag, Lexi,” I said, my voice flat, unreadable. “How exactly am I supposed to believe anything you just told me?”

Her head snapped up, her lips trembling instantly. The sight of her looking so fragile stirred an unexpected knot in my chest, forcing me to look away toward the cabin window just to keep my composure intact.

She let out a shaky sigh. She reached her hand out toward my knee, but stopped herself halfway, pulling her fingers back into her lap.

“Caleb, please believe me,” she choked out, a tear spilling over her lower lash line. “When my dad got that call… when everything went under, my whole world crumbled overnight. That bag–that designer bag–was a gift from Maya for my birthday three weeks ago. She bought it for me because she knew I had nothing left.”

She swallowed hard, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

“We had to sell everything, Caleb. My family literally auctioned off our clothes, our shoes, our jewelry, just to scrape together enough money to keep a roof over our heads. My dad’s health completely failed right after the business collapsed. He came down with a chronic condition, and the medical bills were swallowing us whole. That’s why I vanished. Everything happened so fast.”

I stared at her, processing the picture she was painting. It sounded insane, yet the raw desperation in her voice felt real.

“Why was your first instinct to run away?” I asked, keeping my tone guarded. “Why didn’t you come to me? We were in a relationship, Lexi.”

She dropped her gaze back to her lap, tears falling steadily onto her dress.

“Because of who I was,” she murmured softly. “Because of how I treated people back then. I was arrogant. I

thought I was untouchable, and when I found myself in those shoes, I was too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. Especially you. I was terrified you wouldn’t take me back if you saw me with nothing.”

1/4

14:46 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

86

55 vouchers

A dry scoff escaped my chest before I could stop it. “You really think I was with you because of your family’s status?”

“You weren’t? She asked, looking up to meet my gaze.

I shook my head, shifting in my seat.

“You get me wondering sometimes, Lexi. I genuinely wonder how your thought process works. Are you trying to tell me that all those months we were together, you were only with me because of my name? My family’s standing in the country? You thought our relationship was a joke or something?”

“No!” Lexi insisted quickly, leaning forward. “I really liked you, Caleb. I cared about you. But… if I’m being completely honest with you now, the social status was part of why I leaned into it back then. I was an insufferable person. I was self–centered, obsessed with how things looked from the outside, and completely blind to what actually mattered.”

She took a shaky breath, reaching out again–this time letting her fingers rest lightly over my wrist.

“I didn’t even know about your car accident,” she whispered, her eyes filling with fresh panic.

“I swear to you, I had no idea you were hurt. I didn’t know anything until I came back to campus a few weeks ago to see if I could salvage my credits or if I had to start my whole life over. When I heard what happened to you… my heart broke.”

A heavy wave of empathy hit me, but I refused to let it show on my face.

The pain of sitting in that hospital bed months ago, wondering why she hadn’t called, was still far too fresh.

I wasn’t ready to let her completely off the hook.

I redirected the conversation, keeping my voice cool.

“How is your dad doing now?”

The question broke whatever strength she had left. Lexi covered her face with both hands and began to cry heavily, her shoulders shaking with deep, ragged sobs that echoed through the quiet room.

Watching her fall apart like that finally pushed me past my defenses. I stood up from the chair, stepped over to the bed, and pulled her up into my chest.

She wrapped her arms around my waist immediately, burying her face into the crook of my neck.

I couldn’t deny the history between us, as complicated as it was.

Our relationship had always been built on a strange, unsaid dynamic–power, social standing, and high expectations.

When we first started dating almost a year back, I had honestly pursued her because her father had direct connections to major league scouts.

It was a calculated move on my part, a way to secure my future on the field. But somewhere along the line, the

2/4

14:46 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

lines had blurred.

:

86

55 vouchers

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify