Do Not Fall For The Baseball Captains novel Chapter 91

What Comes After

The voice came from right beside me, causing me to jump slightly. I turned my heas to find Nathan standing a few feet away.

His hands were tucked casually into the pockets of his tailored trousers, his eyes locked firmly on Nova and Caleb under the tree.

I cleared my throat, forcing a small, empty laugh as I tried to regain my composure.

“Why would you think that?”

Nathan chuckled, though the sound was gentle, completely devoid of any malice. He didn’t look at me right away, keeping his gaze fixed on his younger brother.

“Victoria, come on. Do you really think everyone here is blind? We all saw how much you liked Caleb growing up.”

A sudden dryness caught in my throat, and I swallowed hard, I absolutely hated when people pointed it out.

Hearing it out loud made me feel incredibly exposed, vulnerable, and completely stupid.

I opened my mouth to defend myself, to weave some quick, sarcastic lie, but Nathan held up a hand, interrupting me before I could start.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” he said softly, finally turning his head to look at me.

His expression shifted into something genuinely consoling.

Perhaps he noticed the way my shoulders had instantly tensed, or the defensive look that had taken over my face.

“It’s just a part of life, Victoria. Sometimes you end up pouring your whole heart into someone you’re only meant to have a normal, ordinary friendship with. Unrequited love happens, and it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong or that you have to feel ashamed of it. You can’t force a puzzle piece to fit where it isn’t supposed to.”

I offered him a tight, appreciative nod, but his words didn’t exactly soothe the burning question that had suddenly flared up in my chest.

If Nathan knew, and Jace knew–and if Lexi had once used it as a cruel insult against me–then I wasn’t nearly as mysterious or good at hiding things as I had always proudly thought.

I was completely transparent. Even looking back at my very first interaction with Elijah, the realization made my blood run cold.

It had felt like he was looking right into a mirror; he had read my attachment to Caleb instantly, without even knowing me well.

Everyone had seen it.

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What Comes After

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But it wasn’t supposed to be that way. I had poured my entire heart into hidden diares. locking my truest thoughts away where no one could ever find them.

Around Caleb, I had played the role of the sarcastic, bantering best friend perfectly.

I used those quick retorts like shields, convinced that as long as I kept him laughing, he would never look closely enough to see the truth.

I did want to openly love him; I wanted to so badly. But I had needed to be absolutely sure he felt the same way first, because the alternative meant risking our friendship.

So, I hid behind the jokes, and waited.

A terrifying question slipped into my mind. If the rest of the world had seen right through me, had he seen through me too?

Had he just been pretending not to notice all this time just to spare my feelings? The mere idea of his pity felt worse than any rejection.

Nathan broke into my spiraling thoughts, his tone shifting as he cleared his throat.

“So… how is Willow doing?”

I paused, turning my head to look at him with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

“You know, you could literally just call her and ask.” I said the words slowly, watching his face closely.

A tiny, unmistakable twitch formed along his jawline, a clear sign that things were definitely not on good terms between them.

Nathan looked away, clearing his throat again as he focused back on the crowd.

“Well, I just noticed she wasn’t here today. I figured I’d ask her sister.”

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