Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 89

Am I Falling For Elijah?

Victoria’s POV

Elijah’s lips curled into a lazy, familiar smirk.

He let his gaze drift slowly across the room, looking at the blinking monitors, the clear IV tubes running into Caleb’s hand, and the bags of fluid supporting his recovery, before bringing his eyes right back to Caleb’s face.

“It’s not too late to do that, Ashfield,” Elijah countered, his tone light and dry. “What do you think? Black suits or navy? I think navy would really honor your memory.”

“Elijah!” I scolded, throwing a harsh look in his direction.

He tilted his head a fraction to look at me, his eyes softening instantly as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

“You don’t have to worry, Victoria. I’m not ready to be a murderer. And certainly not for Caleb Ashfield’s blood. The paperwork would be an absolute nightmare.”

Caleb rolled his eyes, a faint trace of amusement touching his lips despite his obvious

exhaustion.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Carter. If you tried to take me down, you’d miss. Just like you missed that outfield catch against State last spring.”

Elijah let out a deep, quiet breath, a genuine smile replacing his smirk.

“Anyway.” He leaned against the metal footboard, the playfulness fading from his voice. “You need to focus on getting better and getting off this mattress. The final season training starts soon, and the coach is already losing his mind over the roster. We need you out there. You’re one of the best outfielders we have, and the diamond looks empty without you.”

Caleb’s brow furrowed, his expression shifting into complete disbelief.

“Are you actually praising my skills on the diamond, Carter? Did the crash mess up your head too?”

Elijah craned his neck left and right, letting out a soft, smug chuckle as he looked out the window.

“Don’t get used to it. I just prefer playing with people who actually keep up with my pace. So hurry up and get out of that bed.”

“Keep up with your pace?” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “I’ve been covering your blind spots all season, Carter. Don’t worry, I’ll be back out there to save your stats soon enough.”

I retreated quietly into the corner of the room, leaning my back against the wall as

173

Am Falling For Elijah?

watched the two of them continue to hurl dry jabs back and forth.

A strange, warm sensation began to bloom in my chest. Looking at Elijah, I could see the genuine relief behind his casual posture. He actually cared.

I found myself wondering if he was being this kind out of basic human decency; the kind of standard respect you show a teammate who just survived a near–fatal accident, or if he was doing it entirely because he knew how much Caleb mattered to me.

He had spent the last five days holding me together while I cried, driving back and forth to my parents‘ house for food, and shielding me from Caleb’s father.

Now, he was humbling his massive ego just to make my best friend feel comfortable in a hospital bed.

It was a beautiful thing to witness. It pulled back another layer of the complicated man I was getting to know, writing a brand new line into the story we were building together.

With every day that flipped by, it felt like a new ink was being dried on our pages, and for the first time, I realized I desperately didn’t want our chapter to end.

I didn’t want the contract to run out. I didn’t want to go back to a reality where he wasn‘ t a permanent fixture in my life.

I watched them banter, amazed at how Caleb still had the energy to match Elijah’s wit even while pinned down by a neck brace.

For as long as I could remember, the two of them had actively disliked each other. It was never because of a personal betrayal or a specific argument; it was entirely born out of ego.

They were both handsome, both incredibly talented athletes, both accustomed to being the center of attention on campus, and both fiercely competitive. They existed in two parallel universes of privilege and talent, constantly rubbing each other the

wrong way.

But watching them now, a strange thought crossed my mind. In a weird way, they looked less like enemies and more like two brothers who had been separated by a bitter feud, finally finding a bridge to close the gap between them.

I had never wanted to be one of those people who believed that terrible tragedies had to happen just for good things to manifest. It felt cruel to justify a horrific car crash with a positive outcome.

But witnessing the quiet respect passing between the two boys right now made it feel like the accident was the unexpected birth of something phenomenal.

Then my smile faltered as a troubling thought slipped into my mind.

What would actually happen if Caleb and Elijah became real friends? If they became

2.3

Am Falling For Elijah?

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