Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 174

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

**Chapter 174**

**Jessa**

As the first rays of sunlight filtered through my curtains, I found myself waking up with an unmistakable grin plastered across my face.

–

Not just any grin, mind you — but a full-on, cheeks-hurt-from-smiling kind of grin.

For a fleeting moment, I lay there, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, trying to piece together the source of this unexpected joy. I felt… buoyant. Warm. Utterly giddy in a way that, under normal circumstances, would have made me cringe with embarrassment. But today, it didn’t.

And then it struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I have a boyfriend.

A real boyfriend.

Not some prank or a fleeting fling.

No punchline lurking in the shadows.

Noah Carter is my boyfriend.

In a fit of sheer excitement, I buried my face into my pillow and let out a squeal — albeit muffled, since Jackson would undoubtedly make a spectacle out of it if he caught wind of my delight.

But still, I squealed. Me! The girl who had never let out a squeal in her entire existence, unless it was in response to an eight-legged intruder.

Everything around me felt transformed. My room seemed brighter, my clothes more vibrant, and even the sun outside shone with a newfound warmth. The very air I breathed felt charged with possibility.

It was absurd. It was enchanting. And above all, it was mine.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, heading toward my closet with a sense of anticipation, bracing myself for the familiar morning ritual of anxiety that always shadowed my choices:

What should I wear?

Will it be too tight?

Will people stare?

Will I feel bigger today?

Will the fabric cling in all the wrong places?

Will I be labeled as “the fat girl trying too hard”?

But today, that dread was conspicuously absent.

It felt as if someone had wiped it away overnight.

Well, not just anyone.

Noah.

Not because he had waved a magic wand and made me love myself — that journey was still very much a work in progress — but because somehow, the knowledge that he truly saw me, saw the real me, loosened that tight knot in my stomach for the first time in what felt like years.

I pulled out a pair of jeans and a soft cranberry-red top, slipping them on before my mind could intervene with its usual barrage of doubts. I stood before the mirror, bracing for the familiar tide of self-criticism.

But it didn’t come.

Sure, I didn’t resemble the TikTok girls with their flawless figures.

Sure, I wasn’t “Barbie thin.”

Sure, I still had curves in places that society often deemed unacceptable.

But I looked… like me.

And for once, that realization felt empowering rather than disheartening.

When Mariah’s car pulled up outside and she honked the horn, I grabbed my bag, took a deep breath, and jogged out the door, my heart racing with anticipation.

As I slid into the passenger seat, Mariah’s eyes roamed over me, a smirk spreading across her face. “Well, look at you! Miss Glow-Up. Miss Radiance. Miss ‘I have a boyfriend!’”

Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t help but smile. “Shut up.”

“No way! I refuse to shut up. This is my moment! I’ve been waiting YEARS for this era!”

I snorted, shaking my head. “We’ve had, like, two days of an era.”

“Two DAYS more than we’ve ever had!” she declared dramatically. “Now spill. Give me all the morning feelings. Tell Auntie Mariah everything!”

My cheeks flushed as I fiddled nervously with the zipper on my backpack. “I don’t know. I’m just… happy.”

Her expression softened immediately. “Good. You absolutely deserve that.”

“I know,” I replied, pausing for a moment as a thought struck me. “But I realized something.”

“Oh boy,” she said, feigning seriousness. “We’re getting philosophical. Should I pull over?”

I shot her a glare. “I’m serious.”

She grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. “Okay, Socrates. Enlighten me.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued, “I think… girls can be the worst enemies of girls.”

Mariah blinked, caught off guard. “Explain that.”

“You know all those whispers and comments people made yesterday about Noah and me? How they giggled and whispered when we walked together?”

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. “Most of those comments weren’t coming from guys.”

Mariah nodded slowly, absorbing my words.

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