Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 87

The Longest Hous

The Longest Hours

Victoria’s POV

We all moved into the small, cramped waiting room down the hall. It was just Nathan, Dominic, Genevieve–who had returned after a few minutes without her husband- Elijah, Nova, and me.

Nobody spoke. The only sound was the rhythmic ticking of the circular clock on the wall.

I sat in one of the uncomfortable vinyl chairs, my arms wrapped tightly around my stomach.

Across the room, Nova quietly stood up from her seat. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before walking over to the couch where Genevieve sat alone, staring blankly at the floor.

Nova slid onto the cushion beside her, her movements incredibly gentle. Without saying a word, she reached out and placed her hand over Genevieve’s trembling fingers.

Caleb’s mother looked up, her tear–stained eyes blinking in confusion, but she didn’t pull away.

Instead, she let out a broken sob and leaned her shoulder directly into Nova’s side, accepting the comfort from a total stranger.

I watched the scene unfold from my corner, a strange, complicated feeling twisting in my chest.

Genevieve swallowed hard, wiping her nose with a tissue as she looked at the girl beside her.

“Thank you, dear. I’m sorry… I don’t think I caught your name.”

“I’m Nova,” she introduced softly, her voice dripping with genuine empathy. “I’m a friend of Caleb’s from campus. I help him study for one of courses.”

Genevieve paused, her eyes automatically drifting across the room to lock onto me, seeking some sort of unspoken confirmation or approval.

I forced my lips to stretch into a small, reassuring smile, nodding my head slightly to let her know it was okay.

Genevieve squeezed Nova’s hand tightly, letting out a relieved sigh.

Beside me, Elijah shifted. He reached out, his large, warm palm coming to rest directly over my knee.

He didn’t say anything, but the steady pressure of his hand against my skin was an

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The Longest Hours

incredible comfort, a silent reminder that I wasn’t facing this nightmare alone

As I sat there, trying to focus on the warmth of his hand, I became hyper–aware of another pair of eyes on me.

I turned my head slightly, my gaze tracking across the room until it landed on Dominic

He was still leaning against the wall, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles, were ticking.

When our eyes finally locked, his expression hardened into pure disgust before he deliberately looked away, staring out the window.

I didn’t need a reminder that Dominic hated me. He and his father had always viewed me as a threat to Caleb’s potential, a lower–class leech trying to cling to their wealth.

Elijah leaned his head down close to mine, his breath warm against my ear.

“When was the last time you ate anything, Toria?”

I shook my head, staring at my lap. “I don’t know. Yesterday morning, maybe. I’m not hungry, Elijah.”

“So, you haven’t had a single bite of food in over twenty–four hours,” he murmured.” You’re going to make yourself sick, and Caleb is going to need you functional when he wakes up. What do you want? I’ll go find a vending machine or a cafeteria.”

“Nothing,” I whispered. “Seriously, my stomach is completely twisted. I won’t be able to keep anything down.”

Elijah stared at me for a long moment, evaluating the stubborn line of my mouth.

Finally, a small, softer expression touched his features.

“You know what? Hospital food is garbage anyway. I’m going to drive over to your parents‘ house. I’ll ask your mom to pack some of that homemade meal. You’ll eat that.”

A genuine, grateful smile finally broke through my misery at how thoughtful he was.

“Okay,” I breathed.

Elijah stood up, his tall frame instantly dominating the small room. He looked over at Nathan, who was standing near the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

Elijah gave him a single, respectful nod, which Nathan returned with a tired smile.

Elijah didn’t even acknowledge Dominic’s existence as he turned and walked out of the waiting room, his long strides carrying him down the hallway.

Across the room, Nova stood up from the couch, looking down at Genevieve.

“Mrs. Ashfield, I’m going to go down to the cafeteria and get you some hot tea and a sandwich. You need to keep your strength up.”

Genevieve looked up at Nathan, her voice weak. “Nathan, please accompany her. She’s

The Longest Hours

new to this hospital layout, and I don’t want her getting lost.”

Nathan nodded immediately, stepping away from the doorframe.

“Lead the way, Nova,” he said, gesturing toward the corridor.

Nova gave me a quick, supportive look before following him out, their footsteps fading away until the waiting room went completely dead silent.

Now, it was just the three of us left in the room: Genevieve, Dominic, and me.

The silence stretched on for a painful, agonizing minute, the tension between Dominic and me practically humming in the small space.

Genevieve looked up, her gaze shifting from her younger son over to where I sat frozen in my vinyl chair.

Her expression wasn’t angry like her husband’s; it was just profoundly, deeply sad.

“Victoria,” she called softly, her voice trembling. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?

The simple, maternal kindness in her question was the exact breaking point I had been trying so hard to avoid.

The dam inside my chest completely broke, and a heavy sob escaped my throat before I could stop it. The tears came rushing down my face in a hot, unstoppable torrent.

Genevieve stood up instantly, crossing the small distance between us. She sank down onto her knees in front of my chair, reaching out to pull me into a tight embrace.

I buried my face in her shoulder, my body shaking with long, agonizing sobs as fifteen years of shared history and love for her son poured out of me.

She held me just as tightly, her own tears soaking into the collar of my jacket as we clung to each other in our shared terror.

After a few long minutes, we finally broke apart, both of us sniffling as we wiped the remaining tears from each other’s cheeks with trembling fingers.

Genevieve offered me a watery, fragile smile, patting my hand gently.

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