Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Noah

The walk away from Jessa’s house felt longer than it should’ve.

Not because anything bad happened.

Because everything felt… heavier in a good way.

The kind of heavy that sits in your chest and makes you replay a smile over and over like it’s a favorite song.

I got into my truck and just sat there for a second, hands on the steering wheel, staring at nothing

She’d looked at me like she believed me tonight.

That was new.

That mattered.

I started the engine and pulled away, telling myself not to overthink it.

Which, obviously, didn’t work.

The next morning felt… different.

Not movie–montage different.

Just… lighter.

I walked into Ridgeville High with Jackson beside me, and for once he wasn’t immediately talking about football or class or something stupid Daniel used to say.

He was quiet. Thoughtful.

“You good?” I asked him.

He glanced at me. “Yeah. Just… getting used to things being different.”

“Like what?”

He smirked. “Like my best friend dating my sister. Still weird.”

“Still weird that you and Mariah are a thing,” I shot back.

He snorted. “Fair.”

We hit our lockers and that’s when I saw her.

Jessa stood with Mariah a few rows down, wearing that red sweater that somehow made her look both soft and confident at the same time. She was laughing about something, one hand gesturing, the other clutching her books.

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And yeah.

My chest did that stupid thing again.

I didn’t even realize I was smiling until Jackson said, “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“That.”

“Shut up.”

He laughed and closed his locker. “Go say hi to your girlfriend.‘

Still weird hearing that word out loud.

Still good, though.

I walked over just as Mariah was finishing a sentence.

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“And I’m just saying,” she said, “if the fashion industry actually cared about real bodies, dressing for events wouldn’t be a full–contact sport.”

Jessa laughed. “True.”

Mariah saw me and lifted an eyebrow. “Well, look who survived the night.”

“Barely,” I said. “Your best friend is dangerous.”

Jessa smiled at me, that soft one that still felt unreal. “You left without saying bye.”

“I said bye.”

“You said ‘see you,“” she corrected.

“…Okay, yeah, that’s different.”

Mariah bumped Jessa’s shoulder. “Look at you two. All domestic already.”

Then, gentler, she added, “You okay this morning, Jess?”

Jessa nodded. “Yeah. I think… yeah.”

Mariah smiled at that – not teasing, not sarcastic. Just proud.

We started walking toward class together, and Mariah stayed beside Jessa instead of drifting off like she used to.

“So,” Mariah said casually, “just so we’re clear – if anyone gives you crap today, you tell me. Or Jackson. Or him.” She nodded at me. “We’ll handle it.”

Jessa blinked. “You don’t have to-”

“I want to,” Mariah said simply.

That was new, too.

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By lunch, the whispers were back.

Not as cruel.

Mariah smirked. “Or because people have nothing better to do than analyze other people’s happiness.”

Jessa stood up, suddenly shy. “I… wanted to watch you practice.”

That hit me way harder than it should have.

“…I like that,” I said honestly.

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