Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 163

**Hearts Written in Silent Rain by Ava Bloomfield**

**Chapter 163**

**Jessa**

As the final bell echoed through the school, a whirlwind of excitement surged within me, making it nearly impossible to remain seated.

This wasn’t the anxious dread I used to feel as I navigated the hallways, constantly on edge, fearing the whispers and snickers that might follow me. No, this was something entirely different.

This was… a warmth radiating through my chest. A fluttering sensation that felt almost electric, sparking with every thought of him.

All of this, simply because Noah Carter had expressed a desire to spend time with me again.

Not through some random twist of fate.

Not because we were thrown together by circumstance.

Not out of obligation.

But because he genuinely wanted to.

The concept still felt surreal—Noah wanting me, choosing me, as if I were the only one in his sights.

Even now, hours after he had dropped that casual invitation, his words replayed in my mind like a cherished melody:

“After practice… let’s go somewhere. Just you and me.”

Each time the memory surfaced, my stomach flipped in delightful anticipation.

At my locker, I fumbled with my books, striving for a nonchalant demeanor, as if I weren’t caught up in a whirlwind of romantic fantasies where Noah texted me sweet goodnights, called just to hear my voice, and said things like, “You made my day better,” for no particular reason at all.

Just then, Mariah appeared beside me, her trademark smirk already plastered across her face.

She had an uncanny knack for sensing when I was about to spiral into a daydream.

“Well,” she chimed, leaning casually against the locker next to mine, “you look like a ray of sunshine wrapped in a bundle of nerves. Care to spill any secrets, Lombardi?”

A smile broke free on my lips, unable to be contained. “He wants to hang out tonight.”

“Translation: DATE,” she announced dramatically, her voice rising above the noise of the bustling hallway.

“It’s not—”

“Oh my God, shut up, it’s totally a date,” she interjected, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “If a guy says ‘I want to see you’ with that tone Noah uses? Date.”

I rolled my eyes, but deep down, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

“I just… I like it when he pays attention to me,” I confessed, my voice softening. “He really notices me, Riah. Like I’m not just some ghost drifting through the halls.”

Her expression softened as she leaned closer.

“And when he texts me? I love that too. He always says goodnight, sends the silliest memes. Just yesterday, he called me, claiming he ‘just wanted to hear my voice.’ Who does that?”

“Someone who’s into you,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, feeling a rush of warmth. “And homecoming? He asked me like it was the most natural thing in the world. No hesitation at all. I thought I’d imagined it when I woke up this morning.”

“You didn’t,” Mariah said, her tone serious. “He’s completely smitten with you.”

“Stop it.”

“Nope.”

“Mariah—”

“Nope. I’m preserving your joy. Now, continue.”

A laugh bubbled up as I closed my locker, the sound brightening the air around us.

“I just… I don’t want to wake up from this,” I admitted quietly, my heart racing. “For the first time, I feel like… I matter. Not because of Jackson or because people pity me. But because someone actually likes me. Wants me.”

Mariah nudged my shoulder playfully. “You’ve always mattered, Jessa. The only difference now is that someone you like finally noticed.”

We began walking toward the student parking lot, the crisp fall air filled with the scents of freshly cut grass and cafeteria fries.

“Also,” she added, her tone teasing, “you’re glowing.”

“I am not glowing.”

“You’re absolutely glowing.”

I elbowed her lightly. “Stop making things up.”

“Me? Make things up? Never.”

I couldn’t help but beam, the happiness radiating from me like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“I have a question,” Mariah said, her voice suddenly serious. “Are you going to wear something cute tonight or something really cute?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know exactly what I mean,” she replied, her grin wicked. “Are we aiming for ‘effortlessly adorable’ or ‘hi, I am kissable, please proceed’?”

“MARIAH.”

“I prefer the second option,” she added, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

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