Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 174

Past and Present

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Victoria’s POV

“Pregnant?”

The word left Adele’s lips as barely a whisper, but in the dead silence of the patio, it sounded like a thunderclap.

Every single head was locked onto us. Miles stood frozen a few feet away, his arms slack at his sides, his mouth slightly open as his eyes darted from Elijah down to my stomach, then back up to my face.

Across the deck, Jace dropped the red solo cup he was holding; it hit the wooden floorboards with a dull plastic thud, spilling dark soda across the deck, but nobody even looked down.

Elijah didn’t flinch. His arm remained firmly clamped around my waist, pulling me so flush against his side that I could feel the heavy beat of his heart through his shirt.

“Did… did I hear that right?” Natasha asked, stepping out from the middle of the crowd, her tablet dangling loosely from her fingers.

“Tori? You’re pregnant?”

A soft, hesitant flush crept up my neck, but sitting here in the warmth of Elijah’s hold, the initial panic slowly began to wash away.

I took a slow breath, resting my hand over Elijah’s forearms where they crossed my waist, and gave a single, quiet nod.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I am.”

A collective gasp rippled through the group.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Nate interrupted, taking two heavy steps forward, his hands flying up to clutch his head. “Hold on! Since when?! When did you guys find out?”

“Elijah, bro, you’ve been keeping this a secret from us?” Miles added, his initial annoyance completely vanishing, replaced by disbelief.

Elijah let out a low, quiet breath, his chest expanding against my back as his jaw relaxed.

“We weren’t keeping it a secret for the sake of it. We just wanted to make sure everything was safe and settled before making a big deal out of it.”

“So when was it?” Natasha pressed, her eyes wide as she searched my face. “How far along are you?”

I looked at Elijah, offering him a small, shared smile before turning my attention back to the group.

My mind drifted back through the weeks, landing squarely on the memory that had changed everything for

1. us.

1/5

14:46 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

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“Do you guys remember the day before the final championship games?” I asked quietly, looking around at the familiar faces. “Back on campus, right before the playoff week started?”

Adele frowned, her brows knitting together as she recalled the memory.

“Yeah… you fainted in my kitchen, back at my apartment. I had to rush you to the clinic, and the whole team showed up right after practice.”

Nate’s eyes suddenly widened, a look of realization washing across his face as he snapped his fingers.

“Wait a minute! You missed the final game. It was because….you were dealing with morning sickness?!”

Everything clicked for them in that instant.

“It wasn’t dehydration,” I told them softly, resting my hand over Elijah’s where it held my waist. “That was the day. The clinic did the blood work, and… well, that’s when the doctor gave us the news.”

“Bro…” Miles breathed, shaking his head slowly as he stared at Elijah in awe. “You played the entire

championship series, hit three home runs, and carried the defense while knowing you were about to become a father?”

“Priorities,” Elijah said simply, though a proud, unmistakable warmth softened the corners of his eyes as he looked down at me.

“I had to handle business on the field so I could take care of business at home.”

“Holy shit,” Nate declared, throwing his hands in the air. “Elijah’s going to be a dad! Our captain is having a baby!”

I swallowed past the small lump forming in my throat, looking around at the circle of people who had become our family over the years.

I felt a sudden squeeze of guilt for keeping something so huge from them for so long.

“I’m really sorry we didn’t tell you guys sooner,” I offered softly, my tone turning apologetic.

“We honestly just… we needed time. At first, we weren’t even sure if we were going to keep the baby or proceed with an abortion. We were terrified. And once we finally made the decision to keep the child, the team was right in the middle of winning the championship. We didn’t want to drag personal heavy news into the victory celebrations or take the spotlight away from what everyone worked so hard for. We just needed to come to terms with parenthood privately before sharing it with everyone.”

Jace scoffed, waving his hand dismissively with a warm, disbelieving laugh.

“Are you kidding me, Tori? You’re apologizing to us?”

He stepped forward, his eyes softening as he looked between Elijah and me.

“We completely understand. Totally. You guys went through a massive life change overnight, and you handled it the way you needed to. You don’t owe us an apology for taking care of yourselves first.”

2/5

14:40 Tue, Aug 18

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

“Damn right,” Miles agreed, stepping up beside Jace and offering Elijah a firm, respectful nod.

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“Oh my god, Victoria! I’m so sorry for spinning you!” she gushed, her eyes glittering with happy tears. “I am so, so happy for you guys!”

“I’m going to be an uncle!” Jace shouted, grabbing Miles by the shoulders and shaking him violently.

“I’m teaching this kid how to throw a curveball before it can even walk!”

“Over my dead body,” Elijah cut in dryly, though the faint smile playing on his lips betrayed his satisfaction. “You’re not teaching my kid anything until they’re at least ten.”

Coach Miller stepped forward, a broad, fatherly grin stretching across his weathered face as he clapped a heavy hand on Elijah’s shoulder.

“Congratulations, son. You’re going to be a fine father. And Victoria–make sure he keeps taking care of you.”

“He doesn’t leave me alone for two seconds, Coach,” I laughed, leaning my weight back against Elijah’s chest.

For a few golden minutes, the patio was filled with genuine warmth.

The heavy dark clouds that had hung over the cabin all morning seemed to lift, replaced by loud congratulations, back–slaps for Elijah, and endless chatter about nursery colors and baby shoes.

Miles kept shaking his head in disbelief, while Natasha immediately began tapping notes into her phone, claiming she was already planning the baby shower.

We were right in the middle of Miles arguing with Nate over being the baby’s godfather when the heavy wooden door leading into the main cabin creaked open.

The sudden sound cut through the air, and the loud laughter slowly died down.

One by one, all heads turned toward the doorway.

Stepping out onto the wooden deck at the exact same time were two pairs.

From the left side of the hallway came Caleb and Lexi.

Caleb walked with his hands jammed deep into his jacket pockets, his jaw set in a rigid line, while Lexi walked half a step behind him, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of his sleeve, looking small and guarded under the patio lights.

And coming through the main double doors from the right side were Leo and Nova.

Nova walked slowly, wrapped tightly in an oversized gray hoodie, her face pale and her eyes slightly swollen from her fever and tears.

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