Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 65

Not the Monster

Elijahs POV

I slid the heavy, black–bound volume across the dark mahogany desk. It was my final senior honors thesis–months of criminal profiling analysis, recidivism data, and long nights compiled into two hundred pages.

Sitting across from me was Professor Abernathy.

She was legendary in the department for being an absolute terror, the kind of professor you walked on eggshells around because she could dismantle your entire GPA with a single stroke of her red pen.

I braced myself for the critique, my shoulders tightening as she pulled her reading glasses down her nose and flipped through the first few sections.

To my absolute shock, the corner of her mouth ticked upward. She closed the book, took off her glasses entirely, and stood up from her chair.

“I really admire you, Elijah Carter.”

The words completely threw me off guard. I just stood there, my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth.

Seeing my expression, she let out a dry chuckle, swiping a few gray strands of hair away from her face.

“I’ve been in the education system for over fifty years, Elijah. Elementary, high school, and now college. I’ve encountered every single archetype, personality, and ego you could possibly imagine. When I saw Richard Carter’s son on my roster at the start of the semester–a handsome, star baseball player–I groaned. I honestly did. I knew exactly how the script for people like you usually goes.”

She leaned her hands against the edge of her desk, her gaze pinning me to the floor, but her blue eyes were astonishingly soft.

“But you completely surprised me. You’re smart, attentive, and remarkably quiet in my lecture hall. No rumors of campus bullying, no missing classes for hangovers, and you‘ re still dominating the sport’s field. Your parents did an incredible job. Having the opportunity to professor a student like you has been a genuine pleasure, Elijah. I’m proud of you. Thank you for not falling into the easy stereotypes.”

I didn’t know how to process what she was saying. The praise felt completely foreign, landing heavily in my chest as I stared back at her.

For a split second, I could see a faint shimmer of moisture in her eyes before she offered me a warm smile.

Breaking out of my daze, I finally cleared my throat.

Net the Monster

“Thank you, Professor Abernathy. That really means a lot coming from you.”

“I wish you the best in both of your careers,” she added, gesturing toward the thesis. Professional sports or criminal justice–whichever you choose, I know you’ll excel.”

I nodded, offering a respectful smile, and grabbed my bag. But as my hand gripped the brass doorknob to leave her office, her voice cut through the quiet room again.

“Elijah.”

I paused, turning my head back toward her.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Don’t be like them,” she warned, her voice dropping into something much more serious, almost pleading. “Don’t fall into the statistics.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Never intentionally hurt a woman. Keep being one of the good men out there.”

sudden, sickening coldness filled my gut. My chest locked up because I knew, with absolute certainty, that I had already fallen into the statistics.

Victoria Rhodes.

I forced a tight, artificial smile that didn’t reach my eyes, nodded once, and stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind me.

The walk to the parking lot passed in a complete fog.

The moment I climbed into the driver’s seat of my car, I slammed the door shut and let out a long, loud exhaled breath, leaning my head back against the leather headrest.

Fuck. I rubbed my palms hard against my face. I needed to do something.

I needed to fix this before it went any further, because the absolute last thing I wanted to do was break Victoria.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, the screen lighting up. Her face was glowing on the display next to a new notification.

Victoria: ‘Hey, if you’re passing by the store on your way back, can you grab more of that almond milk? Adele completely finished the carton this morning. Thanks!‘

A small, involuntary smile tugged at my lips as I read the text. It was such a normal, mundane domestic request, but seeing it there made the tight knot in my chest loosen just a fraction.

Before cranking the engine, I tapped my steering wheel, hesitated for a second, and dialed Miles.

It rang twice before picking up, and the immediate sound of heavy breathing and shifting sheets through the speaker made me grimace.

214

You could have fixed your damn self before you answered the phone, Miles,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Miles let out a breathless laugh on the other end, entirely unbothered. “Come on, man, as if you don’t do the exact same-”

“That’s enough,” I cut in, my tone sharp enough to stop him in his tracks. “Look, when are you going to be free later? We need to talk.”

I heard the ruffling of blankets through the line, followed by the quiet thud of his bare feet hitting the floor as his tone shifted.

“Is everything okay, Buddy? You sound tense.”

“Meet me at McCarren’s in an hour?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you there, Carter,” he replied.

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