Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 26

The Worst Possible Timing

The Worst Possible Timing

Victoria’s POV

An hour later, we were seated in a booth at a quiet, upscale bistro downtown.

I was currently feasting on a perfectly seared ribeye steak, unashamedly cutting off massive pieces.

There was something uniquely therapeutic about eating an incredibly expensive meal on someone else’s tab–especially when that someone was your successful older sister, meaning you didn’t have to feel a single shred of guilt.

“We’ve officially caught up on my new promotion, my life in Munich, and how I accidentally ran into that German actor you used to plaster all over your high school binders,” Willow said, setting her wine glass down with a soft clink against the white

tablecloth.

She rested her chin on her laced fingers, her gray eyes suddenly turning incredibly

sharp.

“I’ve spent the last hour talking about my life, now it’s time for you.”

I shoved a piece of meat into my mouth, chewing happily, and gave her an expectant, tilted look.

“What about me?”

“What’s going on with your love life?”

The meat went down the wrong pipe. I instantly hacked, my hand flying to my mouth as a harsh cough tore through my chest.

Willow quickly slid her water glass toward me, her expression a mix of amusement and immediate concern.

“Geez, Vic, breathe,” she muttered as I chugged the water, my face burning crimson.

“Why would you ask me that out of nowhere?”

I gasped, setting the glass down and wiping my mouth with a cloth napkin.

Willow’s playful expression softened into something much more grounded, the protective older sibling taking over.

“Because I’m still your big sister,” she said softly, reaching across the table to briefly touch the back of my hand.

“I know the distance has kept us apart, and I know we’ve missed a lot of daily stuff over the last few years. But you’ll always be my little sister, Victoria. I care about you. You’re grown up now, and it’s my responsibility to make sure nobody is making you miserable.”

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The Worst Possible Timing

She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied my face.

“The second I walked into your room, your countenance felt… off. You look tired. And not the ‘I studied for an exam‘ kind of tired.”

I stared at her, my fingers tightening around the silver fork. My chest felt tight.

Part of me desperately wanted to spill everything–to tell her about the fake contract with Elijah, the screaming match in Caleb’s living room, and the way my heart felt like it was constantly being pulled in two opposite directions.

But it was too complicated, too messy.

Before I could decide how much to confess, Willow shifted in her seat, her voice taking on a casual, testing tone.

“What about your best friend, Caleb? Are you two still close? I haven’t heard you mention his name once since I got here.”

I felt my stomach do a slow, uncomfortable flip.

“We’re… we’re fine. He’s just busy with baseball.” I cleared my throat, desperately trying to pivot the spotlight away from myself.

“Why do you ask?”

Willow leaned back, eyeing me over the rim of her glass.

“Well, you two used to be practically attached at the hip. The fact that you haven’t mentioned him once–when he used to be woven into every single part of your daily routine–feels weird, Vic. Besides, I still keep touch with Nathan.”

Nathan was Caleb’s older brother. Back in high school, he and Willow had been practically inseparable before she left for her graduate program.

Everyone in the neighbourhood suspected they were secretly dating, but neither of them had ever admitted it to our families.

“You still talk to Nathan?” I asked, grateful for the detour. “Did you guys ever actually date, or are you going to take that secret to your grave too?”

Willow offered a mysterious, playful shrug, but before she could answer, her gaze drifted past my shoulder toward the glass entrance of the restaurant. Her eyebrows shot up.

“Well,” she murmured, a strange tightness in her voice. “Speak of the devil. Look who just walked in.”

I turned around in the booth, my eyes scanning the front lobby.

Standing by the host stand, looking a bit pale under the restaurant lights, was Caleb. His thick bandage was gone, but he was still leaning heavily on a pair of aluminum crutches, his broad shoulders hunched forward slightly to take the pressure off his

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