Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 182

Lexi Wants to Talk

Elijah’s POV

79

55 vouchers

She stepped fully out of the shadows, the blue glow of the TV screen and the pale moonlight catching her frame.

I looked at Lexi, really looked at her, and realized she wasn’t the same girl I’d known since we were six years old.

The Lexi Greyson I grew up around had always been sassy, mean, ridiculously proud, and loud about her

status.

But since she arrived at this cabin, all that sharp, biting arrogance had evaporated, leaving behind a strangely hollow look in her eyes.

When our eyes met, I immediately looked back toward the muted television.

Knowing Lexi, her quiet, timid act over the past few days could easily be a cover to get the group to let their guard down. I didn’t have the energy for whatever game she was playing.

I pushed off the cushions, preparing to head back upstairs, but she spoke before I could make a move.

“Hey–Carter.” Her voice was hesitant, almost stuttering. She stood at the edge of the rug, her fingers nervously picking at the hem of her oversized sweater.

“Can… can I talk to you, please?”

I stopped, my brows pulling together as I slowly glanced around the dark, empty living room before looking back at her.

“Me?”

“Yes, of course you, Carter. We’re the only ones down here.”

I stared at her for a moment, letting out a long, quiet breath.

“Lexi, if this is about what happened in the hallway, I don’t regret what I did to Caleb. And I’ll do it again if I have to.”

Just thinking about the way he’d hurt Victoria made my blood run hot all over again.

I clenched my right fist, feeling the bruised skin on my knuckles pull tight, forcing myself to keep my

composure.

“And,” I added, giving her a flat, unamused look, “if you’re down here looking for some kind of hookup or distraction, you’ve got the wrong guy. I love my girlfriend. I am not going to cheat on her. Never.”

Lexi froze, taken off guard. A look of pure confusion crossed her face before her features scrunched up in

annoyance.

1/4

11:33 Tue, Aug 25

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

“Cheat on Victoria? What on earth are you talking about, Carter?”

79

55 vouchers

She walked over to the sectional, and I instinctively shifted two feet to the left, putting distance between us.

She sank into the far corner of the couch, pulling her legs up underneath her and wrapping her arms around a throw pillow, clutching it tight against her chest.

“Why are you down here at such an odd hour, Lexi?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, you can be such a…” I trailed off, shaking my head as I looked at her. “What do you actually want?”

She let out a small sigh, resting her chin on top of the pillow. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Right. Is the world coming to an end?” I muttered, rising from the couch. “Lexi Greyson wants to talk to me. I’m not buying this.”

Before I could walk away, she reached out, her fingers snagging the edge of my wrist.

“Please, Elijah.” Her voice dropped, losing its defensive edge entirely. “Please.”

I stopped, slowly lowering my gaze to her hand on my wrist. The moment she noticed where I was looking, she pulled her hand back as if she’d been burned, tucking her arm back against her chest.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured quickly. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you. But could you just stay and listen to me for five minutes? I promise I don’t have any ulterior motive.”

I stood there in the dim light, studying her face.

After a long pause, I exhaled through my nose and sat back down on the opposite end of the long couch, resting my hands on my knees.

“Lexi, if this is something that’s going to cause a rift between me and Victoria-”

“It won’t,” she cut in softly, her eyes wide under the moonlight. “I promise. I don’t have anything malicious planned. I just… I really need to say this.”

Silence fell over the room again. Seconds stretched into minutes. I kept my posture guarded, my fingers lightly tapping against my knee as the silence stretched thin, waiting for her to make her point.

“So… I was really that bad, huh?” she finally broke the quiet, her voice barely louder than the hum of the air

unit.

I glanced over at her. “Hmm?”

A soft, sad chuckle slipped from her lips, though there was zero humor in it.

“I mean… I was really such a terrible person that your first thought is that I’m trying to jump your bones or sabotage your relationship?”

I looked at her, not bothering to cushion the blow.

“Yeah, Lexi. You were.”

2/4

11:33 Tue, Aug 25

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains.

She blinked, taking a small breath as a faint, bitter smile touched her mouth.

“Wow. That hurts, Carter. You still have absolutely no filter, do you? Just like when we were six.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and looking at her head–on.

“Lexi, are you on something? Can you just get straight to the point? It’s late.”

79

55 vouchers

She took a deep, shuddering breath, her fingers digging deeper into the plush fabric of the throw pillow.

“Okay. Okay, I’m sorry. I actually came over here because I wanted to apologize.”

I stared at her, genuinely perplexed. “Apologize?”

“Look,” she pressed on, her words tumbling out faster now as if she was afraid she’d lose her nerve.

“I know I hurt Victoria. I know she’s not going to want to hear a word out of my mouth anytime soon, and I know I indirectly made your life harder too. I was a mean person, Elijah. I was terrible, arrogant, and unbearable from the start. But I’m really, really sorry. And honestly? Everything happening to me right now is my karma. I’m getting exactly what I deserve.”

A single tear escaped her eye, trailing down her cheek in the dim light.

I sat there, silently watching her. At that moment, I genuinely didn’t know what to make of the situation.

If she was pulling an act, then she deserved an Academy Award. But if she wasn’t… if this was real… I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had happened to her.

To completely strip away Lexi Greyson’s pride, ego, and vanity, life had to have beaten her to a pulp.

I was tempted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut. I still remembered all the times she’d made Victoria feel small, all the backhanded comments, all the drama she’d fuelled.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify