Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 176

Old Familiarity

Victoria’s POV

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I leaned back into Elijah’s broad chest, watching the whole scene unfold with a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

Over in the corner, Natasha and Adele were already huddled together over a phone screen, looking up nursery interior designs; an area where Natasha was more than happy to take the lead.

It was so wholesome watching all of them, seeing how completely they supported us and how genuinely excited they were for our baby’s arrival.

My hand rested gently against my stomach. A sense of peace settled in my chest, knowing that our child was going to grow up surrounded by so much love and a real, tight–knit family.

Then my eyes landed on Caleb and Lexi, sitting silently near the edge of the patio.

Lexi was glued to his side with her head down, carrying a subdued, apologetic posture that felt foreign on

her.

Beside her, Caleb didn’t even look like he was in the same room space with the rest of us. His expression was empty, as if his mind was miles away.

It hurt me to see my best friend looking so soulless, as if he had been cursed never to find peace or happiness.

There was something deeply wrong going on with him–something heavy that I wished I could help him fix. But the real question was whether Caleb even wanted to be helped.

If he actually wanted support, he knew he could come to me. I was his best friend. And if not me, he was close to his mother, Genevieve, and his brother, Nathan.

He had people who cared about him, yet he kept choosing to drown in the dark alone.

I let out a soft sigh, shaking my head slightly as I pulled my gaze away, silently hoping that whatever storm was tearing him apart from the inside, he would eventually find his way through it.

As the conversation continued to drift, the late–night air turned crisp, carrying a heavy chill off the water.

Coach Miller stood up from his chair, stretching his back before looking around at the circle.

“Alright, everyone, wrap it up,” Coach announced, dusting off his jeans. “It’s getting late and cold out here, and I’m not spending our vacation nursing a bunch of sick adults.”

“Coach, come on,” Jace complained. “We aren’t ten years old. We don’t have a bedtime!”

Coach Miller raised both hands in peaceful surrender, walking toward the cabin entrance with Natasha tucked under his arm.

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“Well, as for me, I’m going to sleep. You guys can freeze out here if you want, but don’t come crying to me in the morning. The only medical supplies we packed for this trip are three bottles of aspirin for hangovers, so you’re on your own.”

Natasha offered us a quick wave before they both slipped inside, the screen door clicking shut behind them.

One by one, the rest of the group started filtering inside. Jace and Fallon said their goodnights, followed by Nate and Maya.

Miles lingered for a moment, making sure Adele got inside safely before he followed Leo and Nova up the

stairs.

Soon, the lively patio was quiet again.

Only a few of us remained in the dim light of the hanging bulbs.

Elijah stood beside my chair, while Lexi sat quietly on the far wooden bench, her eyes downcast as Caleb stood a few feet away from her, leaning against the wooden railing.

Neither of them had contributed a single word to the baby conversation, just observing from the shadows.

Elijah leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered softly, “Come on, Tori. Let’s head upstairs and rest. It’s getting freezing out here.”

I looked up at him, gently shaking my head.

“You go ahead. I just want to sit out here for a few more minutes and enjoy the night.”

Elijah narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark gaze filled with concern as he looked down at my face.

“I’ll stay out here with you.”

“No, really, go warm up,” I assured him, offering a soft smile as I patted his chest. “I just want ten minutes of quiet by myself. I’ll be right up.”

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine to make sure I was okay, before he finally yielded. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead.

“Don’t stay out too long,” Elijah murmured, his tone dripping with care. “Ten minutes, Tori.”

Before he turned toward the sliding glass door, he cast an unreadable glance directly at Caleb, an unspoken warning lingering in the air between them, before stepping inside the cabin.

That left just three of us.

The silence on the deck became suffocating.

Lexi remained glued to her bench, staring blankly at the floorboards, while Caleb stood in the shadow of the railing, his silhouette dark against the moonlight.

I didn’t want to sit in that stifling space for another second. I stood up from my chair and walked off the

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wooden patio, stepping down onto the damp grass.

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