Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 64

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Until the Time is Right

Elijah’s POV

“You’re avoiding her, Eli. It’s been a month since you even picked up her calls”

My older sister, Sofia, leaned against the kitchen counter, her designer blazer unbuttoned as she swirled a mug of black coffee.

I leaned my lower back against the opposite counter, crossing my arms over my chest.

I loved my mom, but we just didn’t have that kind of relationship. There was this permanent distance between us that had been growing for years, rooted in a past that none of us ever brought up.

It hadn’t always been like that, though. Things used to be completely normal, but after a specific tragedy tore our family apart, she completely changed.

She started projecting this intense animosity toward every single male in her life.

It didn’t matter that my dad and I hadn’t done anything wrong, or that Alex was just an innocent baby.

Whenever we tried to get close or offer any kind of help, she just pushed us away.

Eventually, it got too exhausting, and I stopped trying so hard. It’s impossible to build a relationship with a woman who looks at your face and only sees the gender of the person who ruined her life.

I understood where her trauma came from, sure. I wasn’t stupid. But wrapping my head around the logic didn’t make the cold shoulder sting any less.

I let out a heavy sigh, running my fingers through my messy hair.

“What’s the point, Sof? We both know how she gets when I’m around.”

“Eli, she’s trying,” Sofia countered.

“Look, I have a lot on my plate right now. After graduation, I’ll go see her. I promise. Just drop it for now.”

Sofia opened her mouth to push the issue, but I leveled her with a firm, dark glare, shaking my head once.

She threw her hands up in defeat, letting out a frustrated breath.

“Fine. Fine. But Eli, you have to know she loves you. It’s just… it’s incredibly hard for her.”

A bitter scoff escaped my throat.

“Easy for you to say, huh? You’re the golden child. Tell me, how exactly are you going to explain to an eight–year–old kid like Alex that his own mother doesn’t want to hold his hand because of what some bastard did? How do you make him feel better about

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that?”

Sofia’s eyes dropped instantly to the counter, her posture slumping. The silence stretched between us, heavy and full of family baggage.

“I know. I’m sorry, Eli. It’s unfair to both of you.” She whispered, her voice tight with genuine sympathy.

I drew in a deep breath, deliberately shaking off the dark mood before it could ruin the morning.

“Change the topic. Please.” I strode over to the refrigerator, grabbing a jug of juice. How did that case go? Did you completely destroy their defense like you planned?”

The distraction worked perfectly.

Sofia’s face lit up, and she immediately dove into a detailed, highly animated explanation of her latest courtroom victory, gesturing wildly with her coffee mug as she explained the legal loopholes she had managed to exploit.

Then, the heavy click of the bedroom door upstairs broke through the conversation. I looked toward the glass staircase, and my brain completely stalled.

Victoria was coming down the steps, moving a little slowly, completely unaware that we had company.

She was wearing one of my plain black button–downs. On her, the fabric draped completely out of proportion, the hem hitting right at mid–thigh, exposing her long, bare legs.

Her hair was sticking up in every direction. You could practically see the stress of a three–a.m. study session radiating off her.

She was a complete mess, utterly exhausted, and yet she looked so beautiful I couldn’t look away.

There was something so intensely intimate about seeing her like this–half–asleep, completely at home in my apartment, and wearing my shirt.

“Hey, are you even listening to me? What are you look-” Sofia’s voice tripped mid-

sentence.

Her eyes narrowed as she tracked my line of sight across the room.

As if she could actually feel me looking at her, Victoria blinked out of her daze. She looked over at me, but her gaze quickly darted to Sofia, widening in total shock.

“Oh my god,” Victoria stammered, frantically tugging the oversized hem of my shirt down as far as it would go. “I–I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here. I’ll just… I‘ m going to go back upstairs.”

She turned on her heel to bolt back up the steps, but Sofia was already stepping

Und the Time is Right

around the kitchen island.

“Hey, wait! Don’t run away,” she called out. “I didn’t know he had company either. I’m Sofia, Eli’s older sister. Stay for breakfast, please.”

Victoria paused on the bottom step, looking incredibly self–conscious as her eyes darted between the two of us.

“I really don’t want to intrude…”

“You’re not intruding,” I cut in, grabbing another plate from the cabinet. “Come eat with us. You practically pulled an all–nighter studying, and I know you’re already itching to get back to your textbooks, but you need the energy.”

Victoria bit her lip, then she slowly walked over, sliding onto the barstool and tucking her legs beneath the counter.

As I started plating the food, the two of them began talking. It didn’t take long at all for Victoria to lose her nervous edge.

Sofia had a natural way of pulling information out of people–a trait that made her lethal in a courtroom, but surprisingly easy to get along with at a breakfast table. Within ten minutes, they were completely locked in a conversation.

Standing over the stove, listening to Victoria laugh at one of Sofia’s sarcastic comments, this strange, unfamiliar feeling started settling in my chest.

Before Victoria, my interactions with women had a very specific, predictable blueprint. It was about attraction, sex, and a superficial kind of companionship that you could easily walk away from when it got boring.

But with Victoria, things were entirely different. She was like a brand–new type of air in this stifling life.

She was stubborn, fiercely independent, and she didn’t look at me like I was a prize to be won or a bank account to be used.

Beyond the obvious physical attraction, there was this genuine connection that made me just want to be around her, even if we were just sitting in total silence while she studied.

I enjoyed her company. I enjoyed the way her mind worked.

Of course, there was a ticking clock on all of this.

The entire foundation of how I got her here was a complete psychological trap.

I had seen how badly she was hurting over Caleb Ashfield, drowning in the agony of

an unrequited love that was never going to love her back. And instead of playing the nice guy, I had used that pain as my leverage.

I knew that misery loved company. So, I built a brilliant lie: I told her I was in the exact

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Until the Time is Right

same boat, hopelessly pining after Caleb’s girlfriend, Lexi Grayson.

I proposed our fake arrangement under the guise of two broken people sharing the same misery, knowing she’d take the bait because she thought we were equals in our heartbreak.

If someone asked me why I went to such lengths, I wouldn’t even have a real answer. I just had this relentless fascination with Victoria Rhodes, and I was willing to build an entire labyrinth to keep her near me.

If she ever found out that I didn’t give a damn about Lexi, that the whole tragedy was a setup, she would be completely destroyed. She would hate me forever.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Sofia leaned forward on her elbows, completely changing the direction of the chat. “Eli, did dad tell you the Graysons are hosting a dinner next weekend? I think Le…”

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