Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 67

What if Sheaves?

What if She Leaves?

Elijah’s pov

I downed the rest of my drink, the liquid burning a cold trail straight down my throat as I set the empty glass onto the sticky wooden table.

Across from me, Miles was leaned back against the vinyl booth, staring at me like Id just told him I was planning to bomb a country.

I’d just told him the entire truth about the fake arrangement with Victoria–how it started, why I did it, and how tangled it had actually become over the last few weeks. “Bro, you gotta tell her,” Miles said, his usual laid–back demeanor completely vanishing. I exhaled a long breath, staring down at the condensation pooling around the base of my glass.

“You really think I should? Or do I just let things slowly drift apart until the agreement runs out?”

Miles shook his head, totally disagreeing with me.

“No way. That’s just toxic, Eli. If you do that, you’re going to turn Victoria into a total man–hater. Just come clean. She’s not the type of girl who deserves to be played like that.”

He paused, his eyes scanning mine for a second before he continued.

“Besides, remember what happened with Trinity? You learned your lesson about keeping people in the dark back then, didn’t you?”

“That was completely different,” I muttered, my jaw tightening as the memory threatened to pull me under.

“Don’t bring her into this. This situation with Victoria has nothing to do with the past.”

“All I’m saying is, don’t repeat history,” Miles said, raising his hands in a defensive shrug to de–escalate the tension. “Just talk to her. Before it’s too late.”

He let the silence stretch for a beat, watching me absentmindedly spin my glass on the dark wood.

Then, his expression shifted, his gaze turning a lot more observant. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

“Do you like her, Eli?”

I stopped spinning the glass. I stared at the amber reflections dancing on the surface of the wood, a sudden tightness squeezing right behind my ribs as I actually forced myself to ponder the question. Successfully unlocked!

Did I like her? I didn’t know how to define whatever this was. It wasn’t simple, and it

when She Leaves

didn’t fit into any of the neat little boxes or casual categories I was used to dealing with when it came to women.

“I don’t know what my feelings are for her,” I admitted honestly, finally looking up to meet his eyes. “I really don’t. All I know is that I just want her around. I don’t want her leaving my space. When she’s in the house, everything feels… grounded. I like coming home to her.”

Miles let out a soft chuckle, a genuine smile breaking across his face as he shook his head.

“Look at you, getting attached. The campus golden boy is finally down for the count”

“Shut up,” I muttered.

“Listen, man, you just need to give it some time,” Miles said, his tone softening into something genuinely supportive.

“Take things one day at a time and give Victoria a chance to breathe, too. You both carry a lot of baggage from your pasts when it comes to romance. Just keep being her friend, be a good roommate, and let things happen naturally. Don’t rush it.”

I leaned my head back against the top of the booth, letting his words settle into my mind. He was right.

Rushing into things while she was still healing from the wreckage Caleb left behind- and while I was still trying to figure out my own head–would only break the delicate trust we’d managed to build.

“Yeah,” I muttered, staring at the tiny splash of amber liquid left in the bottom of my glass.

“Slowly. I can do that.”

Miles leaned back again, a wry, somewhat sad smile touching his lips as he looked across the dimly lit bar at the neon signs hanging in the window.

“It’s crazy how much pain people hide behind a smile, honestly. Like, who would look at Victoria and think she was carrying around all that misery from years of unrequited love? How can someone see a girl like her–smart, stunning, completely real–and not just instantly fall for her? Caleb is such a total dumbass.”

“You have no idea,” I muttered, my fingers tightening around the glass as the mere mention of Caleb’s name instantly irritated me.

The thought of how he had sidelined a girl like Victoria for years made my blood boil.

“Just don’t be a dumbass too,” Miles added, giving me a pointed, serious look. “Come clean before the truth does it for you.”

The drive back to the condo was completely quiet, the dark streets slipping past my windows as my mind looped over his advice.

2/4

What if She Leaves?

By the time I finally pulled into the driveway and killed the engine, I felt entirely drained

I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, noticing the downstairs lights had been dimmed to a soft, warm glow.

Victoria was curled up on the center of the couch, a thick textbook propped open against her knees, her eyes tracking the pages.

The second she heard the door click, she looked up and flashed me a warm, genuine smile that instantly made the lingering tension in my shoulders melt away.

“Hey,” she greeted softly. “I left some dinner for you in the kitchen. It’s wrapped up in the microwave if you want to heat it up.”

I forced a tight smile, nodding as I kept my pace moving toward the stairs.

“Thanks, Zhen. Appreciate it.”

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