Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 192

Karma Isn’t Real

Nova’s POV

The cool night air moved quietly through the pine needles overhead as Leo and I sat at a small wooden table, set apart from the rest of the group near the far edge of the tree line.

The yellow glow from the small lamp between us cut through the darkness, reflecting in the glass of water resting near my elbow.

Across from me, Leo sat with his chest pressed slightly against the edge of the table, his forearms resting on the wood.

He stared straight into my eyes, the warm lamplight catching the hazel in his pupils and making the faint gold rings around them stand out.

“How are you really doing, Nova?” he asked.

His voice came out composed and measured, carrying a smooth, controlled cadence that felt grounded compared to the storm that had been running through my head all week.

There was something I really liked about Leo: the way he spoke.

He sounded like a guy who actually thought about what he wanted to say before saying it.

And his voice… there was something about it that made me want to keep listening.

I let out a long sigh, dropping my gaze down to my lap where my fingers were loosely tangled together in my sweater.

“Is it bad that I don’t know the words to explain how I feel?” I asked softly, looking up through my eyelashes.

Leo chuckled.

“Not at all. Words are overrated anyway. Usually people just use them to lie.”

I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Ouch. Way to make a girl feel safe opening up to you.”

Leo didn’t break eye contact. The corner of his mouth tugged upward into a faint smirk.

“I said usually, Nova. You’re the exception to the rule. I’m listening.”

A sudden, warm flutter bloomed right in the center of my chest, sending a quick rush of heat all the way up to my ears.

I folded my arms tighter across my ribs, trying to keep my expression neutral. Somehow, eight simple words had managed to throw me completely off balance.

You’re the exception to the rule.

I looked down, hiding the small, helpless smile tugging at my lips before I took a breath and forced my gaze back up to meet his.

To keep him from noticing the heat in my cheeks, I let my eyes drift past his shoulder, landing on the circular table near the shoreline where Caleb and Victoria were sitting.

Even from this distance, the posture between them looked rigid, heavy, and intense.

“I think I’m slowly accepting the fact that we were never meant to be.” A dry, faint laugh scraped from my throat.

“You know… I think I finally figured out why I liked him. Or why I thought I liked him.”

piqued Leo’s interest. His shoulders shifted as he leaned a fraction closer over the table.

“What’s the theory?”

“Nova,” Leo called softly, his fingers twitching on the table as if he wanted to reach out.

“I was heavily bullied in high school, Leo. Like, cruel stuff. The guy I had a massive crush on back then–Wilson Bennett- he made my life an absolute nightmare. He made sure the entire student body knew how repulsive he found the idea of me liking him, all because I was overweight. He’d make pig noises when I walked by the bleachers. He’d ask his friends loudly if they thought the cafeteria chairs could support me. You know how the jabs go. You know how people can be when they think you’re an easy target.”

“What’s this?”

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