Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 20

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My Best Frend in a Towel

My Best Friend in a Towel

Victoria’s POV

“I’ll pick you up in an hour. Elijah’s voice cut through the quiet of the car.

We idled right in front of Caleb’s apartment complex, the quiet rumble of the engine vibrating through the soles of my shoes.

I kept my eyes on the dashboard, my chest tight.

For the last few days, Elijah had been a constant presence, whispering advice that I knew was right but felt impossible to follow.

‘The absence of presence is the realization of value,‘ he’d told me. Which simply meant! should ignore Caleb, stay away from him.

It was a cold way to treat a fifteen–year friendship, but then again, my “loyalty” hadn’t exactly paid off.

I’d spent over a decade being the girl who was always there, the one who filled the gaps, the one who anticipated his needs before he even knew he had them.

And where had that gotten me? Sister–zoned in the back of an ambulance.

Caleb rarely called me just to talk, but last night, the phone had rung at 2:00 AM.

He sounded vulnerable. He said he needed me. And like a well–trained dog, my “stupid” buttons were pushed.

Here I was, standing on the precipice of falling back into the same old cycle.

I tilted my head to look at Elijah. He was already watching me, his hands draped casually over the steering wheel. “Lexi will be in there,” I noted, my voice small. “Don’t you want to come in? You know… for the sake of the game?” He chuckled, a short, dry sound, and shook his head. The sunlight caught the sharp line of his jaw.

“I know how to play the game, Victoria. Don’t worry about me. Go in, do what you have to do, and remember what we talked about.”

There was that hint of arrogance again, that effortless overconfidence that usually annoyed me, but today, I leaned on it. I needed a bit of his steel.

I shook my head and climbed out of the car.

When I reached the lobby, I couldn’t help but glance back. Elijah’s car was still there, the dark tint of the windows hiding his expression, but I knew he was staring.

I lifted my hand in a small wave, then stepped inside before I could change my mind.

Every floor the elevator climbed made my stomach twist tighter.

I had always cared about Caleb, always dropped everything when he needed me. But for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to see him.

The way he had brushed me off at the hospital, the way he had chosen Lex in front of everyone at the bonfire… it was still lodged in my chest.

How many times was I going to let myself be overlooked before I finally stayed away?

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. I walked toward his unit, my footsteps muffled by the hallway carpet.

I rang the doorbell and waited, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white.

I heard footsteps–brisk, unfamiliar ones. When the door clicked open, I was met with a young beautiful woman wearing pale green scrubs and a professional smile.

I blinked, my brows furrowing.

“Hi,” she said. “You must be Victoria. Caleb’s been checking the clock every five minutes for you.”

I forced a smile and nodded.

The nurse stepped aside to let me in. The living room smelled like antiseptic and the faint trace of Caleb’s cologne. My eyes swept the space.

“I’m Sarah, the private nurse,” she explained, hear plate for you?”

was just about to start some dinner. Can I set a

Successfully unlocked!

“Oh, no thank you,” I said quickly. “I’m not staying long. Caleb texted me and asked me to come by, so I just wanted to check on him.”

My Best Friend in a Towel

I stood in the center of the living room, looking around. Lexi was nowhere to be seen. No discarded heels by the door, no designer handbag on the sofa.

If she was living here, she was doing a great job of pretending she didn’t exist. It bothered me.

Why did he need a private nurse if he had a girlfriend?

Now, I’m not saying a girlfriend should automatically turn into a nursemaid or live in servant for a guy.

But you don’t usually hire a private nurse for a sprained ankle when your significant other is right there in the apartment.

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