Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Jessa

I woke up before my alarm.

That never happened.

Usually my body fought mornings like they were a personal attack–snoozing the alarm three times, bargainin with myself for five more minutes, mentally preparing for the armor I’d need to get through the day. But this morning, my eyes opened easily, the soft gray light filtering through my curtains, and instead of dread, there was… calm.

For a few seconds, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling fan as it turned lazily overhead.

Homecoming week.

The words felt unreal. Heavy. Sparkly. Terrifying. Exciting.

And then–Noah.

My stomach flipped in that quiet, traitorous way it had started doing lately. The good kind of flip. The kind that didn’t make me want to disappear but instead made me want to sit up and exist inside the feeling for a second longer.

Boyfriend.

I still wasn’t used to thinking it. Saying it in my head felt like borrowing someone else’s life for a moment. But every time I replayed his smile, the way he reached for me without hesitation, the way he kissed me like it was the most natural thing in the world… it felt less like pretending and more like oping into something that had been waiting.

I rolled onto my side and hugged my pillow, letting myself smile without checking who might see.

That was new too.

Getting ready didn’t feel like a battle today. I showered, brushed my teeth, wrapped my hair in a towel, and stood in front of my closet longer than usual–but not because I was panicking.

Because I had options.

That realization hit me harder than it should have.

I reached for a red sweater I liked but rarely wore. Not because I didn’t love it—but because it felt too noticeable. Too bright. Too confident. The kind of thing that invited comments.

I hesitated, then pulled it on anyway.

Why not today?

I paired it with jeans, glanced at my reflection, and waited for the usual spiral to start. The criticism. The inventory of flaws. The voice that told me to change before it was too late.

It didn’t come.

15

Chapter 192

+25 Bonus

I wasn’t magically confident. I didn’t suddenly love everything I saw. I for existing.

t feel the urge to apologize

That felt like progress.

Downstairs, Mom was already up, sipping coffee at the kitchen table. She looked up and smiled like she’d been expecting me.

“Morning, sunshine.”

I snorted softly. “That’s optimistic.”

She studied me for a moment, her smile shifting into something gentler. “You seem happy.”

“I am,” I said, surprised by how easily the truth slid out.

Jackson wandered in next, hair a mess, hoodie half–zipped, looking like he’d slept through at least three alarms. He grabbed a bowl, poured cereal, then finally looked at me–and paused.

“What?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Nothing. You just… seem lighter.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

He smirked. “I live to make it weird.”

“I used to think it was just guys like Daniel,” I continued. “But the ones asking why Noah’s with me? The ones acting like I don’t deserve it? It’s mostly other girls.”

“I don’t want to shrink again,” I said. “I don’t want to give this up because it makes people uncomfortable.”

Why her?

He could do better.

She’s not even pretty.

They still hurt–but they didn’t stop me in my tracks anymore.

At lunch, the table felt different. Easier. Noah sat beside me, his knee brushing mine under the table like it belonged there. Someone joked about couples popping up overnight. Mariah launched into a rant about makeup tutorials that explained nothing.

“No wonder girls look different without makeup,” one of the guys joked. “That’s, like, a full science experiment.”

Noah leaned back, unfazed. “Jess looks great with makeup when she wears it.” Then he looked at me–really looked at me. “But I like her better without it.”

Something warm spread through my chest, steady and sure.

After practice that afternoon, I stayed longer than usual, watching from the edge of the lot. When Noah finally came out, sweaty and tired, he frowned slightly.

“Why are you still here?” he asked. “You’re never here this late.”

I shrugged, suddenly shy. “I wanted to watch you practice.”

His expression softened immediately. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Yeah?”

I nodded.

“I like that,” he said, gently pulling me into his space.

And in that moment–standing there with the noise of the world buzzing around us–I realized something important.

This wasn’t a dream.

Dreams didn’t come with doubts and whispers and fear.

This was real.

And for the first time, I wasn’t afraid to stay awake.