Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Jackson

Saturday morning wasn’t anything like I’d pictured.

I should’ve been riding high after last night

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we’d pulled off a huge win under the lights, the kind of game

that everyone in town would be talking about for weeks. The crowd was wild, the field electric. Afterward, Coach had walked me over to meet the recruiter I’d been dreaming about since summer.

He told me I had real potential, that I’d caught his eye.

It was the exact moment I’d been working for.

I should’ve woken up today floating on that victory.

But instead, I sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the closed hallway door that led to Jessa’s room. My stomach twisted like I’d swallowed a rock.

She hadn’t come out once. Not for breakfast. Not for water. Nothing.

Something had happened last night–something bad.

I saw Noah kiss her, and yeah, that had been a shock in itself, but I could tell from Jessa’s face afterward that there was more to the story.

1

I hadn’t even been able to talk to her about it, not with the chaos of the post–game celebration and everyone crowding the field. She’d just disappeared, and Mariah had practically dragged her away.

And now, she was locked away in her room like the whole world had ended.

The knock on the front door nearly made me jump. I shot to my feet, half–hoping it was Mariah.

When I opened the door, sure enough, there she was – hoodie zipped up tight, hair pulled back in a messy bun, looking like she hadn’t slept either.

Her eyes immediately scanned my face, then flicked past me toward the hallway. “How is she?”

“She hasn’t gotten out of bed,” I admitted, stepping aside so she could come in.

Mariah stormed inside without hesitation, her energy a mix of anger and worry.

“Mariah,” I started, closing the door behind us, “wait.”

She

spun to face me, her hands on her hips, fire flashing in her eyes.

“No, you wait, Jackson Lombardi. Your sister is wrecked right now, and you’re standing around like you don’t

know what to do.”

My jaw tightened. “I don’t know what to do, okay? I don’t even know what the hell happened last night. I saw

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Chapter 61

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Noah kiss her which was a shock on its own but clearly something else went down. So, yeah, I’m a little. lost here. What happened, Mariah?”

For a moment, she hesitated, like she was debating how much to tell me.

Her shoulders slumped just slightly, but her voice stayed sharp. “Daniel ran his mouth. Said some cruel things. The kind that cut deep and Jessa heard every word.”

My chest went tight.

–

“What kind of things?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

Mariah crossed her arms, anger sparking again. “The kind of things that make a girl feel like she’s worth nothing. That the only reason people even notice her is to tear her down. And after everything Jessa’s been through, after how hard she’s been trying lately, it broke her, Jackson. It broke her.”

I dragged a hand down my face, my mind replaying the image of Jessa’s tear–streaked face last night.

“And Noah?” I asked tightly. “Where does he fit into this? Because I saw him with her. He kissed her. Don’t tell me that didn’t have something to do with it.”

Mariah’s jaw clenched. She didn’t answer right away, which only made my blood pressure spike higher.

“Mariah,” I growled, “tell me.”

She exhaled sharply. “I don’t think he meant to hurt her. But… he was part of it, whether he realized it or not. Jessa thought maybe he actually liked her, Jackson. That she mattered to him. And then Daniel twisted the knife and made it sound like everything between them was just a joke. Like she was just-”

“This is exactly why I didn’t want her mixed up with him,” I muttered, pacing the living room. “And now look what happened. She’s locked away in her room, and I can’t even-“I broke off, raking both hands through my

hair.

18:30 Mon, Oct 13

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