Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 34

+ave Girlfriend Problems

Fake Girlfriend Problems

Victoria’s POV

I pulled the brim of my baseball cap lower, burying my face into the high collar of my jacket as another roar erupted from the stadium seats.

The bleachers were packed to maximum capacity, a sea of screaming students under the blinding glare of the stadium lights.

I shouldn’t have been here. I had lied straight to Caleb’s face earlier, telling him I was feeling sick to my stomach and couldn’t make it to the game.

I had lied to Nova, too, making up some pathetic excuse about research when she begged me to come sit with her.

So here I was, tucked away in the highest, most isolated row of the stands, terrified of being spotted.

Every single time he looked up, my stomach dropped and I ducked my head, praying the shadows of the rafters would keep me hidden.

I didn’t know who I was supposed to be rooting for. My history belonged to Caleb, but my present was completely tangled up in someone else.

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, the game completely tied. The pressure in the air was thick enough to suffocate.

Caleb had been up to bat just minutes before, but he had popped out to the infield–a weak hit that left him standing on the sidelines, his jaw clenched in pure, visible disappointment.

Then, Elijah stepped up to the plate.

He moved with a lethal confidence, adjusting his batting helmet before gripping the

bat.

The opposing pitcher threw a blistering fastball, and with a clean, explosive crack that echoed through the entire stadium, Elijah sent the ball soaring high into the night sky, clearing the outfield wall for a game–winning home run.

The stadium erupted into absolute madness. People were jumping, screaming, spilling beer, and tearing the air apart.

Down on the field, Elijah rounded the bases, completely swarmed by his teammates at home plate.

He ripped his batting helmet off, his dark hair damp with sweat, throwing his head back as he soaked in the victory.

Through the crowd of jumping bodies, my eyes flicked to Caleb.

Fake Girlfriend Problems

He was standing near the dugout, his broad shoulders slumped, staring at Elijah’s celebration with a face so dark and defeated it made my chest ache.

Yet, as I looked back at Elijah, a small, involuntary smile curled the corners of my own lips. I couldn’t help it.

The crowd began to pour toward the exits, and knowing I needed to get out before Caleb or Nova spotted me, I slipped down the back concrete steps, navigating the shadowed, brick corridors beneath the bleachers. I just wanted to get to the parking lot.

I was just about to reach the exit doors when I caught sight of the home dugout entrance. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Elijah was leaning against the iron railing, his home jersey unbuttoned at the top to reveal the dark ink sprawling across his collarbone.

He was smiling; a relaxed expression I thought was just for me.

Standing entirely too close to him was a girl I hadn’t seen before. She was a stunning brunette with a perfectly sculpted face, wearing a vintage team jacket that looked suspiciously like it belonged to him.

She reached out, her manicured fingers brushing a stray piece of dark hair from his forehead, and instead of pulling away, Elijah just smiled down at her.

A sudden, ugly knot of jealousy tightened in my throat. It felt like a drop of poison in my stomach, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Why did I care? We had an agreement. This wasn’t real.

Yet, watching another girl touch him with that level of familiarity made me want to march down the concrete steps and tear her hand away.

Before I could spiral further, Elijah’s eyes suddenly scanned the crowd, cutting through the hundreds of faces until they locked squarely onto mine.

The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold expression.

He murmured something to the girl, stepped away from the railing, and began walking

up the stadium tunnel toward the secluded concourse behind the stands.

I should have just walked away, gone back to my apartment; that was the rational thing to do.

Instead, I found myself pushing through the exiting crowd, my heart executing a series of heavy, erratic thuds against my ribs as I navigated the concrete corridors, entirely unable to stop myself from following Elijah.

“Why are you following me Lowe?”

His raspy, mocking voice cut through the damp air before I could even close the

214

Gattend Problems

distance, making my feet freeze instantly.

Elijah hadn’t even turned around yet, but he knew I was there.

blinked, the name catching me completely off guard.

“What did you just call me?”

He stopped, turning around slowly. A lazy, arrogant smirk played on his lips as he leaned his broad shoulders against the brick wall.

“Lowe. Marlowe. That is your middle name, isn’t it, Victoria Marlowe Rhodes?”

My mouth parted in utter shock. My cheeks burned as I stared at him.

“How… how do you even know my middle name?”

Elijah let out a dry chuckle, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re my girlfriend, aren’t you? Don’t you think I’ll make it my business to know everything about you?”

I rolled my eyes, letting out a frustrated huff.

“Whatever. You probably just memorized that from the university registry to look smart. It’s not like you actually care about the details.”

Elijah paused, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face.

He turned back around and continued walking toward the equipment closet at the end of the hall, his long strides forcing me to hurry to keep up with him.

He glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes glinting with a dangerous, playful edge.

“I care about what’s mine. Though, I’m pretty sure you don’t even know my middle name. Or my birthday. Or my favorite color. Pretty rich of you, ‘my girlfriend.‘ What a dedicated partner I have.”

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