Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Jessa

I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire drive home.

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Even now, with my pajamas on and the house quiet, the warmth from earlier clung to me the slow drive, Noah’s voice when he said my name, and that kiss that still tingled on my lips.

I pressed the pillow to my face like it would muffle the ridiculous little squeal trying to escape. Noah Carter kissed me. Not a dare, not a prank, not one of those cruel “let’s mess with Jackson’s sister” stunts. Real. Soft. Him.

I grabbed my phone and hit Mariah’s contact. She answered on the second ring, her voice all teeth and grin. Tell me everything right now.”

I laughed, cheeks burning. “How do you even know something happened?”

“Because you call me with that voice,” she said. “The I–just–did–something–dangerous–and–probably- amazing voice. Spill it, Lombardi.”

I fell back on my bed and gaped at the ceiling like a lunatic. “Okay, fine. He kissed me.”

A long, perfect gasp on the other end. “He what? Noah Carter actually kissed you?”

“Yeah,” I said, and even the word sounded strange in my mouth. “He did. I kissed him back.”

Mariah shrieked at full volume. “I knew it! Finally! Do you know how long I’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for this?”

“Apparently longer than I have,” I said, laughing. “You saw it coming before I did.”

Her tone softened. “He’s been looking at you different for a while. You just… didn’t notice.” Her voice dropped. Also, Jess you sounded so nervous when you called. Are you okay?”

I twisted the phone cord in my fingers. “I’m excited, yeah. But I’m scared too.” I let out a short, helpless laugh. He spent years joining in when people made stupid jokes. He and Jackson used to rag on me sometimes it was just what they did. He’s Jackson’s best friend. Why would Noah suddenly want me?”

Mariah was quiet for a beat, and then she said, “People change. Sometimes slowly, sometimes fast. Maybe he finally stopped being an ass.”

“I don’t know.” The fear crawled back like cold fingers. “What if it’s a joke? I mean, what if I was just some dare or a weird attention thing? I don’t want to be the punchline.”

“Jess.” Her voice sharpened, instantly fierce. “Don’t you dare go to that place. If that boy treated you like that – if he even tried to joke like that you would know. You can tell when someone’s faking kindness.”

I traced the edge of my comforter with my thumb, trying to breathe through it. “It still hurts, Mariah. I’ve been called fat and weird so many times. I hear the whispers in the hallways. People tag stuff and laugh. I know what the scripts are. I know what people assume.”

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Chapter 124

She didn’t argue. She just said, flat and steady, “You are not a joke. You ar he’s making you feel like anything less than you are, we’ll drag him out

A laugh escaped me, half a sob. “You sound like my personal battle cry,

+25 BONUS

The thing they make fun of And If

“Damn right.” She cheered quietly into the phone. “But listen you’re allowed to be scared. You’re allowed to ask questions. You’re allowed to want proof. That doesn’t mean it’s not real.”

I let her words sink in. “When he kissed me, it didn’t feel fake. It felt safe. Terrifying, but safe. It wasn’t mocking. He looked at me like he meant it.”

“Then that’s all you need for now,” Mariah said. “You don’t need to solve the whole puzzle tonight. You just- sit with how it felt. Let it be real for you first.”

“Easier said than done.” I sighed, staring at the glow–in–the–dark stars that had never come down from the ceiling. “I’m afraid, Mariah. Afraid that if I let myself like him, it’ll be ripped away. Afraid I’ll find out too late that I was part of some stupid prank.”

“Then be brave enough to find out.” Her voice was softer, but there was steel in it. “You know what he did at the party? He got in trouble for defending you. He didn’t stand off on the sidelines. He stepped in. That means something.”

“I don’t even know what to call it,” I said. “A crush? Something more? It feels bigger than that.”

She hummed. “Let it be whatever it is. You don’t have to name it. You can just feel it.” She paused, then added, teasing, “Also don’t freak out about the internet. If people talk, they’ll talk. You and I will eat all the fries and

“Because it is with me,” she said, mock solemn. “Also, I’m coming over tomorrow. We’ll plan your ‘how–to–not -have–a–meltdown–if–the–school–crumbles‘ strategy. And maybe we’ll raid the fridge.”

“Good. Now tell me this: did he say anything else? Did he text you already? Is he going to be stalking your Snapchat all night?” Her excitement bubbled back into the line.

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