Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 266

Noah

Something was off.

Not bad off. Not the kind where Jess looked upset or angry.

Just… quieter.

I noticed it right after lunch when everyone was celebrating Jackson and me getting the offers from State. Everyone else had been loud and excited, and Jess had smiled and said the right things, but there was something behind her eyes that didn’t quite match the moment.

And the thing about Jess was…

Most people thought she was hard to read.

She wasn’t.

You just had to pay attention.

She’d gotten really good at pretending things didn’t bother her. Months ago she decided she wasn’t going to give Ridgeville the satisfaction of seeing her react anymore.

But I could still see the difference.

And all afternoon it had been there.

By the time the last bell rang, I was done pretending I didn’t notice.

She was at her locker when I walked up.

“Hey,” I said.

She looked up and smiled automatically. “Hey.”

“How was your last class?”

“Algebra,” she said with a small groan. “Which should answer that question.”

I chuckled. “Fair.”

She shut her locker and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

“You headed home?” she asked.

“Eventually.”

She gave me a suspicious look. “Eventually?”

“Yeah,” I said casually. “But first I’m kidnapping you.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Kidnapping?”

“Date,” I corrected.

Jess blinked. “Right now?”

“Why not?”

She glanced toward the exit where students were pouring into the parking lot.

“You sure?”

“Very.”

The corner of her mouth curved a little.

“Okay.”

⸻

Ten minutes later we were sitting in a booth at Miller’s Ice Cream.

The place had been around forever. One of those small-town spots that never changed—the same red vinyl booths, the same neon sign buzzing faintly in the window, the same smell of sugar and waffle cones hanging in the air.

Jess looked around like she hadn’t been here in years.

“I forgot this place existed,” she said.

“That’s because everyone goes to the chain place now,” I said. “But this one’s better.”

She smiled faintly.

“What are we getting?”

“I already ordered.”

She narrowed her eyes. “That’s dangerous.”

The waitress set the glass dish down in front of us before I could answer.

Two spoons.

One giant ice cream sundae.

Chocolate syrup, whipped cream, crushed peanuts, a cherry on top.

Jess stared at it.

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“This is huge.”

I shrugged. “We’re sharing.”

She laughed softly.

“Okay… fair.”

She picked up one spoon while I grabbed the other.

For a minute we just ate.

The chocolate ice cream was cold enough to make your teeth hurt if you took too big a bite, and Jess made a face after the first spoonful.

“Brain freeze,” she mumbled.

I laughed.

Then I noticed something.

She was relaxed.

More relaxed than she had been all afternoon.

Her shoulders weren’t tense. Her smile looked real again.

So I did what any responsible boyfriend would do.

I dipped my spoon in the whipped cream.

And flicked a little bit at her.

It landed right on the tip of her nose.

Jess froze.

“You did not.”

I grinned. “I absolutely did.”

She crossed her eyes trying to see it.

“Oh my God.”

I lost it laughing.

“You look ridiculous.”

“You’re the worst.”

She grabbed a napkin, wiping it off, but she was laughing now too.

“Real mature, Carter.”

“Thank you.”

She shook her head, still smiling.

And for a second everything felt easy.

Then the quiet crept back in.

Not uncomfortable.

Just thoughtful.

Jess pushed the cherry around the dish with her spoon.

I watched her for a second.

Then finally said it.

“So.”

She glanced up. “So?”

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?”

Her spoon stopped moving.

“What do you mean?”

“Jess.”

I leaned forward slightly.

“You’ve been in your head all day.”

She looked down at the sundae again.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

She sighed softly.

“You always say that.”

“Because I’m usually right.”

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