Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 73

Caleb’s Tutor

Victoria’s POV

The library was completely silent, save for the faint scratch of pencils against paper and the occasional rustle of heavy pages turning.

Nova and I had been hunkered down at our usual corner table for the last three hours, surrounded by mountain–high stacks of reference books and half–empty coffee cups

My phone buzzed against the wood, the bright screen drawing my eyes away from complicated circuit diagram.

Pulling it closer, I saw a text from Adele.

Adele: ‘Hey babe! Are you free tonight? Allie and I are hitting the mall for some major retail therapy and we need you there.‘

I tapped out a quick reply, already feeling the exhaustion settling deep into my shoulders.

Victoria: Honestly, shopping is definitely not on my radar right now. I have so much studying to finish.

A single minute passed before my phone lit up again.

Adele: Girl, I didn’t ask if it was on your radar. Just let me know what time you finish. I‘ m coming to pick you up from Carter’s place regardless.

I stared at the screen, letting out a quiet huff. I already knew Adele well enough to recognize that absolutely nothing I said would change her mind.

When she and Allison set their minds on something, you either went along with it or got dragged along anyway.

Locking the screen, I looked up at Nova, who was currently tapping the eraser of her pencil against her bottom lip, staring intensely at her laptop.

“Uhm, Nova? Are we studying together tonight too?” I asked, leaning my chin on my

hand.

Instead of her usual quick nod, Nova completely froze. A sudden, deep blush crept right up her neck, coloring her cheeks a bright pink.

I furrowed my eyebrows, a tentative, knowing smile slowly curling the corners of my lips as I watched her sudden shift.

“Actually…” Nova stammered, her eyes darting everywhere except toward me. “Yes, I am studying tonight but… I’m kind of studying with someone else.”

I fake–gasped, dramatically pressing my palm flat against my chest.

“My day–one study buddy is betraying me? For who? Should I be offended?”

1/5

Nova let out a breathless laugh, shaking her head quickly as she buried her face in her hands for a second.

“No! It’s really not like that, I swear.”

I leaned back into the plastic chair, wiggling my eyebrows in a teasing manner while using my straw to lazily spin the melted milkshake in my plastic cup.

“Oh, really? Then what is it like, Nova? Spill.”

Nova scratched the corner of her eyebrow, looking incredibly small under my investigative gaze.

She took a deep breath, dropping her hands to the table.

Actually… it’s Caleb. Caleb Ashfield.”

The playful smile completely died on my lips.

My hand stopped spinning the straw, my fingers freezing tight around the plastic.

I looked Nova dead in the eyes, the sudden mention of his name making my chest tighten in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

Nova completely missed my sudden stiffness. Instead, she leaned across the table, her eyes lighting up with that genuine, nervous excitement that only comes with talking about a massive crush.

“It’s for our senior biomechanics core course,” Nova explained, her words tumbling out in a hurried whisper.

“You know how the athletic department requires all the sports science majors to take it for their upper–level degree path?” she asked.

I nodded slowly, giving her the room to continue.

“Well, apparently, he’s practically drowning in the physics and movement–analysis formulas. If he doesn’t pass this next mid–term, his academic eligibility for the upcoming baseball selection could get completely tanked. He asked around for a tutor, and the department head recommended me. Can you believe it?”

She let out a soft, giddy laugh, burying her face in her hands for a second to hide her smile.

“I mean, I’m supposed to be helping him study, but I’m probably just going to stare at him the whole time. He is so incredibly good–looking, Victoria.”

She kept talking, detailing the specific chapters they needed to cover and how stressed he seemed about his grades, but my mind completely drifted away from the sound of her voice.

I didn’t even know how to process the information. I swallowed hard, staring blankly at the open textbook in front of me.

27

ab Tutor

Just a few days ago, Caleb was looking at me with total regret, begging to have me back in his life. And now here he was, overlapping with Nova of all people.

It felt incredibly strange knowing he was going to be sitting at these exact library tables, completely invading my daily routine.

I had just finally gotten to a place where I was making peace with reality.

I had accepted that we were never going to be more than best friends, and I was actively doing the work to get him out of my head and out of my orbit.

But this? This meant he was going to be right back in my line of sight, forcing his way into my peripheral vision when I was trying my hardest to look away.

I couldn’t quite figure out if the tight knot in my stomach was anger, frustration, or just the pure exhaustion of knowing I couldn’t seem to find a single space on this carpus where his shadow wouldn’t follow me.

“Hey. Victoria? Are you even listening to me?”

A hand waved directly in front of my face, snapping me out of the fog.

I blinked, looking up to see Nova watching me with a worried expression.

I cleared my throat quickly, forcing my shoulders to relax as I offered her an apologetic

smile.

“Sorry. I’m sorry, Nova. My brain is just completely fried from all the study hours. I lost my train of thought.”

I shifted in my seat, trying to make my voice sound light and entirely unbothered, even though my heart was beating a little faster against my ribs.

“So…” I began, propping my elbows on the table and looking at her. “When exactly did he approach you about this? And what did he say?”

Nova tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking a little relieved that I wasn’t upset.

“He came up to me after lecture yesterday. He looked completely desperate. He said he’d pay whatever I wanted, but I told him a coffee would do. We’re supposed to meet at the campus cafe across the street in a bit.”

We spent the remaining fifteen minutes clearing off the table, but the easygoing vibe of the afternoon had totally evaporated–for me, at least.

Nova went about her business like normal, completely unaware of the mental tailspin she’d just sent me into.

“Hey, Nova!”

A familiar voice cut through the quiet corner of the library. I stiffened automatically.

Caleb walked up to our table, wearing a simple gray crewneck sweatshirt and dark jeans, with his baseball cap turned backward.

3.5

Caleb Tutor

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