Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Jessa

Saturday mornings were supposed to be simple. Calm. Routine. A day to catch your breath.

The kind of morning where the only sounds were the hum of the washing machine, the clink of dishes, and the soft buzz of the vacuum cleaner. Maybe a quiet moment lost in a book—if Mom wasn’t already on my case about dusting the baseboards like they were sacred relics.

That was the plan I had in mind for today: a dull, uneventful Saturday, perfectly safe and predictable.

+25 BONUS

But instead, I had spent the last eight hours trapped in a loop, replaying Noah Carter’s voice echoing in my mind, whispering “sweet dreams” like I was some lovesick extra in a teenage romantic comedy.

I tried to pull myself out of the daydream by focusing on chores.

The laundry basket was overflowing with yesterday’s clothes. The kitchen counters were sticky and needed a wipe-down. And, true to form, Jackson had left his shoes scattered in the hallway again—as if being the football team’s quarterback exempted him from the basic skill of putting things away.

I grabbed the basket and started down the hall, humming softly under my breath.

That was new—me humming.

Usually, I’d grumble, sigh loudly, or mutter curses under my breath about Jackson’s carelessness.

But now?

My stomach fluttered in a way that made no sense for 10 a.m. on a Saturday.

Every time my thoughts drifted, they snapped back to last night—the teasing smiles, the silly flirting, the way Noah’s voice softened when he said my name over the phone.

Had last night been… a date?

Warm and gentle, nothing at all like the boy who used to flick rubber bands at my backpack back in eighth grade.

Just the word “date” made my brain short-circuit.

I sorted the laundry into piles—colors, whites, and then Jackson’s football gear that smelled like a locker room nightmare.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the kitchen counter.

Mariah:

GIRL. EMERGENCY.

I snorted. Only Mariah would declare an emergency before noon on a Saturday.

I grabbed my phone and opened the message.

Mariah:

Rumor alert:

Bethany Jones is throwing a MASSIVE party tonight.

My heart sank into my stomach.

Oh no.

No no no no.

I typed back quickly.

Me:

A party??

Like… a real party PARTY??

Mariah:

YESSSSS. Parents are out of town for the weekend.

House the size of a museum.

Zero supervision.

Teenage chaos.

Beautiful.

I sank down onto my bed, completely forgetting the laundry in my hands.

Suddenly, the memory of the bonfire came crashing back—the shouting, the phones recording everything, Daniel’s disgusting comment, Jackson storming across the yard, Noah stepping between Daniel and me…

And then… that kiss by the trucks a few weeks ago.

And last night—Noah’s voice, low and warm, whispering “sweet dreams, Jessa.”

I swallowed hard.

Me:

I don’t know, Riah…

Mariah:

Oh no.

Ohhh NO.

Don’t tell me you’re panicking.

We JUST upgraded you to Girl With A Life.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Me:

I’m not panicking.

Mariah:

Lying.

I can feel it through the phone.

Okay… maybe I was panicking.

A little.

Fine.

A lot.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

Me:

It’s just… the last time I went to a party, I kind of…

Became a topic.

Mariah:

Became THE topic.

You were TRENDING, babe.

Iconic behavior.

Daniel and his crusty mouth WISH they had your range.

I burst out laughing. Mariah always had a way of popping the panic balloon swelling inside me.

Still… I ran my hands down my thighs, suddenly aware of the softness, the curves, the places people liked to notice.

What if Noah wasn’t going?

What if he was?

What if people talked again?

My stomach flipped.

Before I could spiral any further, my phone buzzed again—this time with a name that made my heart skip a beat.

Noah Carter.

I froze.

Then forced myself to act normal.

Cool.

Chill.

(Which really meant staring at the screen for a solid ten seconds without blinking.)

He was just sending a meme.

Some ridiculous video of a cat dramatically falling off a counter.

But then:

Noah:

Good morning btw.

Did you sleep okay?

Oh.

Oh god.

Me:

Yeah.

You?

Noah:

Not really.

Kept thinking too much.

Me:

About?

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Came back.

Noah:

You.

Mariah collapsed beside me, her hair spilling over the pillow.

“Listen. Tonight is just a party. A party full of idiots. But idiots don’t get to run your life. You and Noah don’t have to do anything public. You can just… be together. Talk. Hang out. Exist.”

I swallowed hard.

“I don’t even know if he’s going.”

Mariah rolled onto her side and fixed me with an intense stare.

“Do you WANT him to go?”

My cheeks flushed. “…Yeah.”

“Then we’re going,” she declared. “Together. We stick together. And if anyone says crap, I’ll throat-punch them with my words.”

I laughed helplessly.

Then, quieter, I said, “Riah?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever… I don’t know… feel like something good isn’t real? Like it’s too good to be true?”

Mariah’s expression softened immediately.

“All the time,” she admitted. “Especially with your brother.”

I blinked. “Wait—what?”

She groaned and covered her face. “Ughhh, don’t make me say it.”

“You like him,” I whispered.

She peeked through her fingers. “Maybe. Possibly. Potentially. Shut up.”

I burst out laughing.

She threw a pillow at me.

“Look,” she said, sitting up, “we are BOTH disasters in love, apparently. Yay us. But you’re not imagining how Noah looks at you. Trust me.”

A quiet warmth spread through my chest.

“Okay,” I whispered. “We’ll go.”

>>

Mariah grinned like a wildcat. “Yes we will. And we’ll look amazing doing it.”

My phone buzzed again.

Another message from Noah.

Noah:

If you’re free tonight,

I was thinking maybe we could

hang out at Bethany’s

…if you want.

I stared at the screen.

Mariah leaned over with a huge grin. “OHHHHHHHHH MY GOD.”

I typed with trembling fingers.

Me:

I’d like that.

He replied immediately.

Noah:

Good.

See you tonight then.

I set the phone down slowly.

My heart pounded in my chest.

My breaths came too fast.

That fluttery feeling inside me bloomed into something warm, nervous, and incredibly real.

Mariah looked at me, her smile softer than I’d ever seen.

“You’re falling for him,” she said quietly.

I swallowed hard.

“I think I am.”

“Then tonight,” she whispered, squeezing my hand, “we let the universe shift.”

And for the first time in a long while…

I let myself hope.