Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 70

Noah

The late afternoon sun beat down on the field, baking the grass and making the air feel thick and suffocating Sweat dripped into my eyes, stinging, as I crouched in my stance and waited for the snap.

I needed to get this play right.

This was supposed to be my reset – my chance to block everything else out and focus on football. The game was over, we’d won, but with the recruiter watching, every practice mattered just as much as Friday night’s performance.

The whistle blew.

I launched off the line, running the route I’d run a thousand times, but it was sloppy, my timing off. When the ball spiraled toward me, I misread the angle by half a second and barely managed to keep it from hitting the

turf.

The catch was ugly, but at least it was a catch.

Coach wasn’t impressed.

“Carter!” His voice roared across the field like thunder. “Get your damn head in the game or go sit on the bench and think about why you’re here!”

“Yes, sir!” I shouted automatically, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

I jogged back to my position, but inside, I was boiling.

Like I don’t already know that, Coach.

I knew my head wasn’t in it. Everyone knew. I could feel the eyes of my teammates burning holes into me, the whispering behind my back. Hell, even the stands felt like they were watching me with judgment instead of cheers.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Football was my thing – my escape. The place where everything else melted away and I could just play.

But right now? It felt like the weight of the entire damn world was balanced on my shoulders, and no matter how hard I tried to shake it off, it clung to me like a second skin.

Every snap, every sprint, every play, I was dragging myself through mud.

And every time I faltered, Coach’s whistle cut through the air like a dagger, sharp and cold.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Coach blew the final whistle. “Hit the showers!” he barked.

The guys scattered, laughing, shoving each other, relieved to be done. Normally, I’d be right there with them, jawing about plays and hyping everyone up for next week’s game.

:

But today, I hung back. My chest was tight, my breaths too shallow.

All I wanted was a second to breathe.

I turned toward the locker room, ready to grab my stuff and get out of here, when a shadow fell across my path.

Jackson.

He was standing there, arms crossed, blocking my way like a damn brick wall. His helmet was tucked under his arm, his hair damp with sweat, and his expression was… hard.

“Walk with me,” he said.

It wasn’t a request.

I swallowed, my stomach twisting, and followed him toward the edge of the field where the noise of the other guys faded.

Jackson didn’t say anything right away. He just stood there for a moment, staring out at the bleachers glowing orange in the setting sun. Finally, he turned to me, his jaw tight.

“You’ve been off for a while now,” he said flatly. “Not just this week, Noah. For weeks.”

I stiffened, trying to play it cool. “I’ve been fine.”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Jackson snapped. “You think I can’t tell when my wide receiver isn’t locked in? We’ve been playing together since we were kids. I know you, man. And something’s wrong.”

I ran a hand through my sweaty hair, frustration bubbling up inside me. “Look, I’ve had a lot on my mind—”

“That’s obvious,” Jackson cut in. “But whatever’s going on with you personally…” His voice sharpened, and I knew exactly what he was implying – what he wasn’t saying outright. “… between us right now, you need to put it aside. For both our sakes. For our futures.”

My gut clenched.

–

Jackson’s eyes burned into mine, fierce and unyielding. “The recruiter isn’t just looking at me, Noah. He’s looking at you, too. One wrong move, and everything we’ve worked for could go up in smoke.”

Jackson frowned. “What’s the problem?”

For a moment, there was silence. Just the distant sound of the other guys in the locker room, laughing and joking like nothing in the world was wrong.

I envied them

–

envied how simple things seemed for them.

Jackson finally spoke, his tone softer than before but no less serious. “You think I don’t feel that pressure too? You think I don’t know what it’s like to have the weight of everyone’s expectations on your shoulders?”

I looked at him sharply, and for the first time, I saw the cracks in his own armor – the exhaustion in his eyes, the tension in his stance.

“This isn’t just about you, Noah,” he said quietly. “It’s about us. About what we’ve been building since we were kids. One of us messes up, the other goes down with him. That’s how this works.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut because he was right.

If I spiraled, it wouldn’t just destroy me. It would take Jackson down, too.

And I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be the reason everything fell apart.

But I couldn’t keep living like this, either.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I know what’s at stake, Jackson. I do. But if I keep pushing everything down, pretending I’m fine when I’m not…” My voice faltered. “…I’m going to lose it. And when that happens, there won’t be any coming back.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was thick, unspoken words hanging heavy in the cooling evening air.

Finally, Jackson sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Get your head straight, Noah,” he said, his tone softer but still firm. “For both our sakes.”

I nodded, though deep down, I wasn’t sure if I even could anymore.

Because no matter how much I wanted to believe I could fix this, the truth was clear – I was one bad decision away from losing everything.

AD