Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Noah

Five minutes.

:

That’s all that stood between us and a win.

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The scoreboard glared against the dark night sky, the numbers screaming at us: Lions 28 – Riverton 24. Close. Too close.

I crouched low, fingers digging into the turf, the crowd’s roar a dull, vibrating hum in my ears. My body was wound tight, adrenaline surging, every muscle ready to explode at the snap.

Focus.

Nothing else matters right now.

Coach’s voice thundered from the sideline. “This is your house! Lock them down and we go home winners!”

I growled under my breath, pounding my chest once to get myself fired up. This drive mattered more than anything.

The opposing team’s quarterback shouted his cadence, his voice sharp through the noise.

“Down! … Set! … HUT!”

The ball snapped, and the play exploded into motion. I lunged forward, meeting their lineman head–on. Pads cracked, grunts and shouts filling the air.

The running back tried to cut through the gap, but I was there. I wrapped him up and drove him back, slamming him to the turf. The whistle blew, and the announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium speakers.

“NO GAIN ON THE PLAY!”

The crowd went wild.

I popped to my feet, chest heaving, the taste of sweat and adrenaline thick in my mouth.

One down. Three to go.

“Hell yeah!” one of my teammates yelled, slapping my helmet.

But there was no time to celebrate. We reset, digging in.

The next play came fast–a pass attempt. I fought off my blocker, arms pumping, but the ball zipped past me before I could get to the quarterback. Our cornerback made the tackle just shy of the first–down marker.

Third and short.

18:29 Mon, Oct 13

Chapter 55

:

Z2) →

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The noise from the stands was deafening now. People were stomping, screaming, shaking the bleachers.

As I crouched again, my eyes wandered–traitorous, stupid–to the home stands.

And there she was.

Jessa.

Her cheeks were flushed from cheering, the number painted on her face slightly smudged, her fitted shirt clinging in all the right places. She was yelling with Mariah, completely caught up in the game, and for a split second, the world seemed to narrow down to just her.

Something twisted inside me. That same possessive pang I’d been battling all week.

And to make it worse? She was wearing Jackson’s number.

Not mine.

His.

The jealousy burned hotter than the stadium lights.

I snapped my gaze away, furious with myself. This was exactly why my head hadn’t been right. Why Coach had been riding me all week. Why I’d missed a block earlier and nearly cost us a touchdown.

Jessa Lombardi.

The girl I wasn’t supposed to notice.

The girl who was Jackson’s sister.

“NOAH!”

Jackson’s voice cut through my thoughts from the sideline. Even though he wasn’t on the field for defense, he was there with his helmet tucked under one arm, watching every move. He caught my eye and shouted, “Lock in, man! We need this stop!”

I nodded sharply, forcing all of it–Jessa, the jealousy, the distractions–out of my head.

The next snap came. The quarterback tried a sneak up the middle.

Bad move.

I surged forward, wrapping him up and driving him backward. The crowd went insane as the ref signaled fourth down.

I shoved off the quarterback and roared, fists clenched, adrenaline flooding me.

Jackson was jumping up and down on the sideline, shouting my name. Coach was screaming, face red with

excitement.

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Chapter 55

“ONE MORE PLAY!” he bellowed. “FINISH IT!”

We huddled quickly, breaths ragged, every single one of us laser–focused now.

This was it.

The ball snapped-

The quarterback dropped back for a desperate pass-

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As we reached the bottom, I spotted Jackson surrounded by a swarm of teammates and fans, everyone clapping him on the back and shouting congratulations. He looked completely at home in the chaos, his grin wide and confident.

But then my eyes found him.

Noah Carter.

He stood a few feet away, his dark hair damp with sweat, his jersey clinging to his broad shoulders and chest. Even from a distance, he looked like a force of nature–strong, unstoppable, untouchable.

And then… he saw me.

It felt like the entire stadium went silent. Our eyes locked, and something inside me fluttered wildly. His expression shifted, softening in a way that made my breath catch.

Mariah gave me a sly grin. “Uh–oh. Someone’s got tunnel vision,” she teased, but I barely heard her.

Noah moved toward me, cutting through the crowd with single–minded determination. The closer he got, the more my nerves tangled into a tight knot.

And then he was right there, standing so close I could smell the faint scent of sweat and grass mixed with his

18:29 Mon, Oct 13

Chapter 56

cologne.

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“You,” he said, his voice rough from the game. His gaze zeroed in on my cheek, where his number was painted in bold black and gold.

Before I could even speak, his thumb brushed across it, smearing it slightly. Then he stepped even closer, towering over me, his presence so overwhelming I forgot how to breathe.

His lips curved into a slow, almost possessive smile. “My number looks good on you,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

My entire body went hot.

Before I could react, he cupped my face with both hands. His palms were warm and calloused from the game, his grip gentle but unyielding, like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go. He tilted my head up, forcing me to meet his eyes.

And God, that smile.

It wasn’t his usual cocky smirk or teasing grin. It was soft. Real. The kind of smile that made my heart lurch and my knees threaten to give out beneath me.

For a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of us–me and Noah, standing in the glow of the stadium lights, the noise of the crowd fading into a distant hum.

“Noah…” My voice came out barely above a whisper, shaky and unsure.

Behind me, Mariah let out a quiet, “Well, damn,” but she didn’t interrupt.

Noah’s thumbs stroked lightly over my cheeks, smearing the paint a little more, and his eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made my pulse stutter.

“Now,” he said softly, almost like a promise, “everyone knows you’re mine.”

I froze, stunned, my breath catching in my throat.

Was this real?

Had Noah Carter–the boy who’d spent years teasing me, confusing me, driving me crazy–just claimed me in front of the entire school?

18-20 Mon, Oct 13