Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains (Victoria and Elijah) novel Chapter 199

An Unexpected Passenger

Acgle’s POV

“I’m going to miss you kids very much.”

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Coach Miller confessed, his hands resting heavily on his hips as he looked out over the circle we’d formed near the edge of the resort parking lot.

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Morning light was just beginning to break over the mountain ridge, casting a cool yellow glow across our pred luggage

“In all the years I’ve been doing this, this trip… well, I know this is going to inflate your egos,” he continued, pausing to look each of us in the eye, “but I think you all need to hear it before you head out into the real world. You were one of the bes groups I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching.”

A few of the guys placed their hands over their hearts with dramatic, wide–eyed expressions.

“We love you too, Coach!”

Nate called out in a high–pitched, exaggerated whine, prompting Jace and Leo to chime in with a loud, synchronized sigh

Coach Miller stopped, staring at them with a flat look.

“Can I finish what I was saying now?”

Laughter rippled through the group, cutting through the heavy morning mood.

Coach Miller just shook his head, a fond, tired expression softening his usual stern face.

I appreciate your effort in everything we did out here,” Miller continued, his tone turning serious again. “Even with the bump in the road.”

His eyes landed squarely on Caleb, holding his gaze until Caleb cleared his throat and looked away toward the resort deck

Coach Miller rubbed the back of his neck, muttering Elijah’s name with a mixture of pride and annoyance

Elijah and Victoria weren’t in the circle with us.

They had packed up and left early before sunrise–Victoria had woken up feeling horribly nauseous, and Elijah wasn’t about to risk waiting around when he could drive her straight back to her gynecologist in the city

“I want you to remember that I’m always going to be accessible,” Coach Miller continued, resting his thick arms over his

chest

“If you ever want to get together and train, call me. Even after I retire, I’m still your coach, so don’t forget that And remember what we worked on out here.

“Most of you won’t get drafted, and even if you do, there’s no guarantee you’ll end up on the same team. Some of you could be playing against each other. That doesn’t mean you become enemies.

“Play your game. Respect the guy standing across from you. And never get so caught up in your own talent that you start thinking you’re better than everyone else. You’re all damn good. Don’t forget that.”

“Yes, Coach, the boys chorused together.

Miller nodded, turning his attention toward Natasha. A rare, soft smile touched his face as he looked at her

“And to my beautiful fiance… thank you for making this trip entirely worth it

Nor Fall For T Baseball Caprains

He stepped over pulling Natasha into a warm, brief kiss while Nate made a dramatic gagging sound in the bark front Miller ignored him looking over at Nova. Fallon, and me.

ank you girls for keeping these idiots grounded all week”

He acknowledged Lexi with a respectful nod, which she returned with a subtle smile, before turning back to the group

“Alright Time to move out”

Everyone immediately grabbed their suitcases, hauling them toward the large passenger van that was going to take us tark to the city

We were right in the middle of jamming bags into the rear storage compartment when a high–pitched scream cut through the quiet air.

It was faint at first, coming from somewhere higher up the resort trail, making all of us freeze and look around

“What the hell is that?” Miles asked, shielding his eyes as he looked up the hill.

Emerging from the cabin treeline was a girl with bright yellow hair, sprinting down the gravel path at full speed while dragging a suitcase behind her.

The wheels were clattering wildly against the dirt, throwing up small clouds of dust.

“Oh my god.” Fallon breathed out, stepping closer to the edge of the asphalt. “Who is that?”

I squinted through the morning sun, realization hitting me as I recognized the neon hair

“Wait, that’s Goldie! The girl from the ‘rainbow girls‘ circle last night!”

My laughter faded into genuine confusion as I watched her sprint.

“Why is she running with a whole suitcase, though?”

She finally burst into the parking lot, coming to a dramatic halt right in front of our van

She bent over, hands on her knees, her shoulders heaving as she tried to pull air back into her lungs

“Yo.” she wheezed out, holding up one finger as we all stood there staring in utter fascination

1. I could literally qualify for the Olympic dash right now

A few chuckles broke out across the group When she finally straightened up, a sheepish pearly smile broke across her face

“Hi Adele, In Fallon, hi Nova, she panted, waving at the three of us she knew from the night before

“Hey, Goldie,” I called back, smiling. “Where’s the fire?”

She adjusted her glasses, her eyes searching our group nervously

“So… I kind of have a major emergency back in the city, but my friend group isn’t scheduled to check out for another two days. I saw your van loading up and was desperately hoping is there any chance you have room for one more?!

Coach Miller stepped forward, assessing the situation with a calm nod.

“Of course we have room for you, kid. Hop in” He turned his head toward the back of the van. “Nate, go grab her bag

“On it, Coach.” Nate saluted, practically stepping over Jace to get to her.

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Nor Fall For The Baseball Captains

He flashed Goldie a smooth, charming smile as he walked over.

How me A lady shouldn’t be hauling fifty pounds of dead weight across a parking lot when I am here”

I rolled my eyes as the rest of the group groaned at Nate’s typical dramatic display.

He took the heavy suitcase from Goldie’s hand and hauled it toward the back door while the rest of us followed him inside

Ten minutes later, the last suitcase was shoved into place, the doors locked, and we were coasting down the highway away. from the lake

It didn’t take long for the back of the van to turn into a loud, comfortable lounge.

Everyone sank into the deep seats while Natasha stood up near the driver’s cabin, carrying a tote bag bursting with fresh snacks and drinks she’d put together for the ride.

“Here you go, dear,” Natasha said warmly, handing a sandwich and a drink to Goldie.

“Thank you so much,” Goldie replied, her white teeth showing in another bright smile before Natasha returned to the fron

passenger seat.

I was sitting in the row right next to her, leaning against the window.

After taking a bite of my food, I noticed Goldie pull a thick paperback book out of her tote bag, flipping it open to a bookmarked page.

“You’re a reader too, huh?” I asked, leaning slightly over the aisle.

Goldie turned her head toward me, her face lighting up with that same striking, radiant smile.

Seeing her up close in the daylight, I couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly pretty she was.

The bright yellow hair should have looked ridiculous, but on her, it matched her vibrant, sunshiny energy.

‘Huge reader, she admitted, smoothing her hand over the page. “Honestly, I didn’t even start out as a writer. I was just a reader who got so mad at how some authors ended their books that I decided to write my own versions instead. I wanted to change the trajectory of the stories, you know?”

“That’s actually awesome,” I said, genuinely impressed. “What are you reading right now?”

She held up the paperback so I could see the cover and title.

“It’s this dark mafia romance I picked up at the airport. The male lead is unhinged and obsessed with her, but she’s literally trying to ruin his life the entire time. I’m screaming at every chapter”

I chuckled. “Sounds dramatic. I like it.” I adjusted my position, leaning an elbow against the armrest.

“So… is your real name actually Goldie?”

Goldie burst out laughing, loud enough to make a few people turn in our direction. Nate was one of them.

His eyes lingered on her for a second longer than necessary before he seemed to realize it and looked away.

I didn’t think much of it. That was Nate. Put a pretty girl in front of him and, naturally, he was going to look

“No definitely not. My real name is Elara”

“Elara. I repeated, feeling the soft flow of the name. “Wow. That is such a pretty name

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De Nor Fall For The Baseball Captains

“Thank you, she beamed. She closed her book partway, resting it on her lap as she looked at me with genuine interest

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