Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 128

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Practice had chewed us up and spit us out. The locker room reeked of sweat, wet turf, and muscle rub, the kind of smell that got into your skin no matter how hard you showered. Guys were peeling off pads, joking, throwing towels, but the energy was different tonight–edgy, quiet in places where it usually wasn’t.

I sat on the bench, elbows on my knees, staring down at my taped hands. Another long week. Another storm of noise we didn’t ask for.

Jackson dropped down next to me with a groan, helmet dangling from his fingers. “That last set was brutal.”

“Coach isn’t letting up,” I muttered.

“He’s pissed,” Jackson said. “We’ve been giving him reasons to be.”

I glanced up. “You mean me.”

He didn’t deny it. “You, me, Daniel… all of us, really. The whole thing at the party. The social–media crap afterward. He’s catching heat from the athletic director, and that means we get it worse.”

I dragged a towel over my face. “Guess I can’t blame him.”

Jackson leaned back against the lockers, letting his head thud softly against the metal. “We used to just play ball, man. No drama. No stupid rumors. No one filming every damn thing we do.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Now everything’s a highlight reel or a headline.”

He looked at me then–really looked. “You and my sister… that’s still happening?”

I froze for a second. “You got a problem with that?”

Jackson sighed. “I told you before–it’s weird. But not in a bad way anymore. Just… different. I’m trying, man. She deserves someone who gives a damn about her.”

“I do.”

“I know.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Just don’t let it mess up what you’re working for. You’re a lock for state scholarships if you keep your head straight. Coach keeps telling recruiters you’ve got discipline. Prove him right.”

That one stung

ng a little–not because he was wrong, but because I’d been hearing that word a lot lately. Discipline. Like I was always one second away from losing it.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll try.”

He gave me a small grin. “Try harder.”

I grabbed my duffel and stood, and he followed. Most of the guys were already gone, just a few stragglers showering or scrolling their phones.

Outside, the air was cool, the sky streaked orange and purple. It felt like the whole town was slowing down while

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Chapter 128

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my mind refused to.

Jackson nudged my shoulder as we crossed the lot. “Hey, you’re good, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He smirked. “Liar.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Go home, Lombardi.”

He tossed a salute over his shoulder and headed for his truck. I watched his taillights fade toward the main road, then turned toward mine, parked a few rows over.

The lot was mostly empty now. Just a few cars and the hum of the stadium lights cooling down.

I was maybe ten feet from my truck when I heard it.

“Yo, Carter.”

I didn’t need to turn to know the voice.

Daniel.

I clenched my jaw and kept walking.

“Come on, man, don’t ignore me.”

Still walking.

He stepped into my path, blocking me. “You got a minute?”

I exhaled sharply. “Make it fast.”

He had that smirk–the one that used to make teachers sigh and girls roll their eyes. “Just curious, dude. You and Jessa Lombardi? For real?”

“Yeah,” I said. “For real.”

He gave a low whistle, shaking his head like I’d just told him the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. “Man, I don’t get you. Lombardi’s sister? You so hard up for pussy you decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel?”

The words hit harder than they should’ve. Maybe because he said it like it was fact, like she was something disposable.

My bag hit the ground with a dull thud. “You wanna try that again?”

Daniel lifted his hands, smirking wider. “I’m just saying, bro. You could have anyone. Literally anyone. But you go for the girl everybody used to clown on? Doesn’t make sense.”

TH

“Maybe it doesn’t have to,” I said.

But he was warming up now, pacing a few feet back and forth like he was building steam. “You don’t get how this works, Carter. You’ve got scouts watching you. Recruiters calling Coach. You keep this up, you’re gonna tank

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hapter 128

my mind refused to.

Jackson nudged my shoulder as we crossed the lot. “Hey, you’re good, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He smirked. “Liar.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Go home, Lombardi.”

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He tossed a salute over his shoulder and headed for his truck. I watched his taillights fade toward the main road, then turned toward mine, parked a few rows over.

The lot was mostly empty now. Just a few cars and the hum of the stadium lights cooling down.

I was maybe ten feet from my truck when I heard it.

“Yo, Carter.”

I didn’t need to turn to know the voice.

Daniel.

I clenched my jaw and kept walking.

“Come on, man, don’t ignore me.”

Still walking

He stepped into my path, blocking me. “You got a minute?”

1 exhaled sharply. “Make it fast.”

He had that smirk–the one that used to make teachers sigh and girls roll their eyes. “Just curious, dude. You and Jessa Lombardi? For real?”

“Yeah,” I said. “For real.”

He gave a low whistle, shaking his head like I’d just told him the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. “Man, I don’t get you. Lombardi’s sister? You so hard up for pussy you decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel?”

The words hit harder than they should’ve. Maybe because he said it like it was fact, like she was something disposable.

My bag hit the ground with a dull thud. “You wanna try that again?”

Daniel lifted his hands, smirking wider. “I’m just saying, bro. You could have anyone. Literally anyone. But you go for the girl everybody used to clown on? Doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to,” I said.

But he was warming up now, pacing a few feet back and forth like he was building steam. “You don’t get how this works, Carter. You’ve got scouts watching you. Recruiters calling Coach. You keep this up, you’re gonna tank

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Chapter 128

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your own stock. Football’s not just talent–it’s brand. You think a college program wants their poster boy dating the chubby twin with all the baggage?”

“shut up.

He ignored me. “Hell, half the team’s still laughing about you going soft. You think they’re gonna respect you in the locker room when you’re holding hands with the punchline?”

“Shut. Up.”

He grinned like he’d just scored a point. “There it is. Hit a nerve, didn’t I? You’re trying so hard to play hero, but we both know it’s guilt. You used to make fun of her too, man. Don’t look at me like you didn’t.”

My chest tightened. The truth in that one line stung more than anything else he’d said.

“Yeah,” he went on, “I remember. Freshman year, right? You and Jackson laughing at the nickname someone gave her. You think that girl forgot that?”

I took a step toward him, fists curling at my sides. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about,” he said. “You’re trying to fix your image. Make yourself look like the nice guy who grew a conscience. But this “he waved a hand in the air, “-this thing with her? It’s not gonna last. You’ll wake up one day and realize you tanked everything you worked for because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.

The rage came hot and fast. “You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”

Daniel laughed again, but there was a flicker of unease in it. “Yeah, well, at least I know who I am. You’re the one confused about it.”

“Get out of my way.”

He didn’t move. “You think Jackson’s okay with this? You think the team respects it? They don’t, man. They’re talking behind your back. You’re losing them.”

He saw it. Smirked. “See? You’re starting to get it. Reputation’s everything. You’ve got one shot at this, Carter. So don’t care how many pancakes you stack on the field if they think you’re drama off of it. And that’s what

I walked past him without another word. My pulse was pounding so loud I could barely hear the gravel crunching under my boots.

I threw my bag in the passenger seat of the truck and just stood there for a minute, gripping the doorframe, breathing hard.

Everything Daniel said kept looping through my head like static.

I started the engine, the rumble echoing through the empty lot. My hands tightened on the wheel as I looked back toward the dark field–the one place I still felt like I belonged,

“The look look.”

Mariah snorted. “You mean the one where a guy actually sees your sister as more than the snarky kid who hides in oversized hoodies? Yeah, that’s called progress.”

I shot her a glare, but she didn’t flinch.

“You know,” she went on, her voice softening just a bit, “she’s not invisible anymore. She’s starting to let people see her. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

I shifted my jaw, uncomfortable with how right she sounded. “Maybe. But Noah? He’s–he’s not supposed to be part of that equation.”

“Would you rather it be Daniel?” she said lightly, but the second the name left her mouth, my jaw locked.

Mariah lifted both hands, feigning innocence. “Hey, just saying. Between Daniel and Noah, I think the universe picked the lesser of two idiots.”

I groaned. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Mariah leaned a shoulder against the locker beside me, her voice softer now. “Look, Jackson. You’ve spent your whole life looking out for Jessa. It’s who you are. But she’s growing up. You can’t protect her from everything or everyone.”

I looked away, staring at the scuffed tile floor. “Yeah, well, doesn’t mean I have to like it.‘

“No,” she said, “but maybe you can try to understand it.”