Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 52

Noah

The locker room was buzzing, electric with pregame adrenaline. The steady hum of voices mixed with the sharp clatter of cleats against the concrete floor and the sharp, tangy smell of sweat and athletic tape. The whole place felt alive, thrumming with the kind of nervous energy you only got before a big game.

I sat on the bench, tugging my jersey over my pads and rolling my shoulders to get loose. Tonight wasn’t just any game—this was the game. The one with the college recruiter in the stands. The one that could change everything for Jackson, for some of the guys… hell, maybe even for me.

I needed to be sharp.

Focused.

Locked in.

Which was exactly why I’d been avoiding Jessa all day.

The image of her in that shirt—Jackson’s number stretched across her chest—had been burned into my brain since the pep rally. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself to let it go. It didn’t matter how much I tried to drown it out with drills, strategy talks, or even trash talk with the guys.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her.

Saw the way she’d looked at me right before I kissed her like I couldn’t stop myself.

Saw the shock on her face when I’d pulled away and left.

I shoved the thought down hard and focused on tying my cleats.

I couldn’t afford to think about her tonight.

Not when my entire future was on the line.

“Yo, Carter.” Jackson dropped onto the bench beside me, smacking my shoulder pads with a grin. He was amped, practically vibrating with energy. “You ready for this?”

“Always,” I said, forcing a smirk onto my face.

Truth was, he wasn’t the only one hyped up. My heart was pounding, my muscles twitching with the need to get out there and hit somebody.

“We’ve been grinding for this all season,” Jackson said, tightening his wrist tape with quick, practiced movements. “This is our shot, man. You, me, the team—we show out tonight, and that recruiter’s got no choice but to pay attention.”

“Damn right.” I nodded, my jaw tightening. “We’ve got this.”

Jackson shot me a sharp look, like he was checking to see if I actually believed what I was saying.

Jackson stood, clapping his hands loud enough to cut through the noise. “Alright, listen up! This is our night. We’ve put in the work, we’ve earned this. Let’s go out there and show everyone exactly who we are.”

The room erupted with cheers, fists pumping in the air.

I felt the surge of energy roll through me, hot and electric, and for the first time all week, my mind felt clear.

No Jessa. No drama. No mixed signals or jealousy or the memory of her lips on mine.

Just football.

Just the game.

I grabbed my helmet, slid it on, and slammed the face mask with both hands, letting the adrenaline take over.

“Let’s go!” I roared, my voice blending with the rest of the team’s battle cries as we charged out of the locker room and into the bright, blinding lights of Friday night.

Tonight, there was no room for anything else.

Just win.