Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Noah

49

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I’d seen a lot of wild things in my life – a fight breaking out at a pep rally, Jackson trying to microwave a Pop- Tart in the wrapper, even Jessa roasting Daniel so bad he practically melted.

But nothing, nothing, topped watching Mariah Morales march across Benny’s Diner and kiss Jackson Lombardi like they were in some dramatic teen movie climax.

The diner went dead silent. Then exploded into whispers.

Even the cook peeked out from behind the order window.

Across from me, Jessa just stood there, eyes wide, frozen mid–step like her brain hadn’t caught up yet. Then her hand flew up to cover her mouth part shock, part oh my god, did that just happen?

—

I leaned back in the booth, trying not to grin. “Well,” I muttered, “that’s one way to kill the gossip.”

Jessa shot me a look, somewhere between disbelief and amusement. “Did she seriously just-”

“Yep,” I said. “Full send. Zero hesitation.”

Mariah had guts. I’d give her that.

Jackson, for his part, just stood there for a second looking like he’d been hit by a truck. Then, slowly, he started kissing her back – like the rest of the world could go to hell.

Phones came out. People started whispering louder. The narrative in this diner just changed in real time.

Mission accomplished, Morales.

I caught Jessa’s expression shift – surprise giving way to something softer. She didn’t look humiliated anymore. Just… stunned.

“Guess you’re not the headline anymore,” I said, half teasing.

She exhaled, shaking her head. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You could start with ‘thank you‘ when Mariah’s done rewriting the entire social food chain.”

That earned me a small laugh. It wasn’t much, but it was the first time I’d seen her smile since the that felt like a win.

party,

and

–

like a cat that

When Jackson and Mariah finally pulled apart, he looked dazed. She, of course, looked smug – just knocked over a vase and dared anyone to call her out on it.

The diner started buzzing again, people whispering, grinning, snapping pictures.

Jessa sighed. “Well, that’s going to be on every story feed by lunch.”

17:58 Mon, Oct 20

Chapter 111

“Yeah,” I said. “But for once, it’s not about you or me. So I’ll take it.”

She gave me a sideways glance. “You think he’s mad?”

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“Jackson?” I snorted. “He’s probably in shock. Give it five minutes, then he’ll either freak out or start planning the wedding.”

That earned another small laugh, this one more genuine.

The tension around us eased – just a little.

Jackson and Mariah finally made their way over to our table. He looked like he was still trying to figure out what planet he was on.

Mariah, meanwhile, slid into the booth across from me like she hadn’t just detonated a social bomb. “Morning,” she said casually, sipping her coffee. “You two eating or just sitting here gossiping?”

Jessa blinked. “You kissed my brother.”

Mariah shrugged. “Yup.”

17:58 Mon, Oct 20

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We sat there for a while, talking about random things the game next week, how Coach would probably ban social media forever if he saw the mess online, how Daniel was probably hiding under a rock somewhere.

Every now and then, I’d catch Jessa watching me. Not in a weird way, just… quietly. Like she was still trying to piece together what she thought about everything that had happened.

And honestly? Same.

Because even though the chaos had cooled down, part of me knew nothing about this – her, me, the fallout

was really over.

When we finally left Benny’s, I paused by my truck and looked back through the diner window. Jackson and Mariah were still inside, laughing at something, her hand brushing his as she talked.

Jessa was beside me, clutching a to–go cup, her hair catching the sunlight.

“Guess that worked,” I said, nodding toward the window.

She smiled faintly. “Yeah. Mariah’s got guts.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “She does.”

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The morning air was crisp, and it almost felt like the world had stopped spinning for a second.

Then she said quietly, “Thanks again. For that night.”

I looked at her – really looked. The kind of look that made it hard to find words.

“You don’t need to thank me,” I said finally. “But… you’re welcome anyway.”

Her

eyes lingered on mine for a beat longer than necessary, and something in my chest tightened · something I didn’t want to unpack yet.

Because even though everything around us was a mess, there was one thing I knew for sure:

I’d do it again. Every damn time.

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