Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 193

Do I Get To Say No?

Nova’s POV

Silence settled over our table again, but it didn’t feel heavy.

Leo stared at me for a long moment, taking in my face under the faint glow of the lamp.

“I honestly can’t believe it,” he murmured, his voice softening again

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“I can’t fathom how anyone could look at you, see how genuinely beautiful you are, and still decide to bully you. I’ve never understood the concept of bullying.”

I blinked, shifting uncomfortably under the directness of his words.

I dropped my gaze down to my fingers, nervously picking at the hem of my sleeve.

“Me neither. I never understood why people take joy in making someone else feel small.”

Leo didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

Then, he extended his right hand across the table, his long fingers curving in a silent, repeated gesture that clearly said: ‘Give

it to me.

I raised my eyes, looking up at him through my bangs.

“What is this?”

“Give me your hand, Nova,” he commanded gently.

Thesitated for a second, my heart fluttering before I slowly lifted my right hand and placed my palm directly into his.

His hand was much larger than mine, his skin warm and noticeably calloused along the palm and fingers.

He closed his grip gently around my hand in a firm, grounding squeeze, his thumb casually brushing back and forth over my knuckles.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you what you want to hear,” Leo said, holding my gaze.

“You are not overweight. If you ask me, you just have weight in all the places society considers right, and you carry it exceptionally well. Now, if you ever decide you want to change your body, I’ll back you up one hundred percent–as long as you’re doing it for yourself and nobody else. But by my judgment? You look perfect.”

Tears filled my eyes again, but this time they were warm, cutting through the icy self–doubt that had lived in my chest for

years.

“Do you really mean that?” I whispered, my voice trembling as I looked at him. “Or are you just saying that because you feel sorry for me?”

Leo let out a low laugh, his thumb still tracing my knuckles.

“Nova, I am the last person on this planet who will waste breath trying to flatter someone. I have absolutely nothing to gain from lying to you.”

A genuine, breathless smile broke across my face through the moisture on my cheeks.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

MM

Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

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We stayed like that for a few seconds, just staring at each other in the quiet space beneath the trees, the wind whispering through the pines above us.

Then. Leo cleared his throat, pulling his hand back slowly, though his eyes never left mine.

“So, he began, leaning back against his seat and resting one arm over the back of his chair. “It seems to me like you’ve never actually been taken on a proper date.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the question.

“What makes you say that?”

“Just from talking to you tonight, you make basic consideration sound like some grand gesture.” he explained softly. “Which tells me your dating standards need some work. I might have to fix that.”

I scoffed, folding my arms.

“I mean… this is sweet. Sitting out here, talking, having someone actually pay attention to you. I love simple things like this. But I don’t know if I’d call this a ‘high standard date. We’re sitting outside in the freezing cold.”

He glanced around before looking back at me.

“You’re here with me. You’re talking to me. And you seem pretty comfortable.”

He shrugged.

“Sounds like a decent first date to me.”

I felt my cheeks warm, and I bit my lip to hide the smile threatening to show.

Lep rested his forearms against the railing, a small smirk tugging at his mouth.

“Although, if you want the actual dinner–and–drinks version, I can do that too.”

I stared at him, my pulse fluttering against my throat.

“Are you asking me out on a date, Leo Foster?”

He leaned in until the space between us shrank to nothing, his hazel eyes darkening.

“Do you want me to ask, Nova Chamberlain?”

Hearing my full name in his smooth, controlled voice made an intense wave of heat flush between my thighs.

“Do I get to say no?” I challenged, trying to keep my voice steady despite the flutter in my chest.

Leo pursed his lips, his eyes studying mine.

“That’s not an option, Liebling,” he murmured. (Darling)

The word came out in a smooth European accent, different from the way he normally spoke.

“Liebling?” I repeated, my eyebrows raising. “Wait… you speak other languages? What was that, German?”

He grinned, taking a sip of his water before setting the glass down.

“What do you think?”

“If I was sure, I wouldn’t be asking for confirmation, dumbass,” I shot back.

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Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains

Leo threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound echoing softly into the quiet night.

When his laughter finally died down. his eyes found mine again, still dancing with warmth.

“It’s German.”

I stared at him, surprised and thoroughly impressed.

“Wow. How many more languages can you speak? In fact, what are the other fun facts about you?”

Leo tilted his head, pretending to ponder the question as if weighing a heavy secret.

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