Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 84

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The second Jessa and Noah walked off together, the whole cafeteria at Ridgeville High tilted forward like they were watching live drama unfold. You could practically hear the collective gasp ripple through the tables. News traveled fast here–especially when it involved the quarterback’s sister and the team’s golden boy.

I swear, Ridgeville’s gossip chain could beat the internet on speed.

Jessa’s chin was up, but I could tell she was nervous. Noah said something to her, and she didn’t back down. That was new. That was progress. But I didn’t love that their “serious talk” was happening right where every nosy student could see.

I turned back toward the jock table–the self–appointed royal court of Ridgeville High. Jackson Lombardi sat dead center, tray pushed aside, his focus locked on his twin sister like he was seconds from going into big- brother attack mode.

I sighed, grabbed my chocolate milk, and plopped down across from him.

“So,” I said, poking my straw through the carton. “What’s going on with your boy?”

Jackson blinked. “What?”

“Your boy,” I repeated, nodding toward the hallway where Noah and Jessa had disappeared. “Noah Carter. Star athlete. King of mixed signals. What’s with his whole hot–and–cold act lately? One day he’s ignoring her, the next he’s chasing her down to talk.”

Jackson’s jaw ticked. “I don’t know what he’s doing,” he said, voice tight. “But he better figure it out fast.”

I smirked. “Aw. Spoken like a protective big brother pretending he doesn’t secretly want to deck his best friend.”

His glare could’ve melted concrete.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said with a grin. “You’re about as subtle as a marching band.”

Across the table, Daniel snorted. “What is this? Loser outreach day? We giving charity to the emotionally damaged now?”

I turned to him slowly. “Funny you say that, Danny boy. Didn’t realize you were the poster child for the program.”

The table exploded in laughter. One guy nearly choked on his Gatorade, and another slapped the table so hard his tray rattled. Daniel’s smirk disappeared, replaced by a sour scowl. I sipped my milk and smiled sweetly.

“Don’t dish it if you can’t take it,” I added. “You’ve got the personality of wet cardboard.”

That got another round of laughs–louder this time. Even Jackson cracked a grin, shaking his head like he was trying not to laugh but failing miserably.

18:35 Mon, Oct 13

Chapter 84

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When the noise died down, I leaned in, lowering my voice. “Okay, seriously. What’s his deal? I know you and Noah are close, but even you’ve gotta admit he’s been acting weird.”

Jackson sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “He’s been… off lately. Distracted. It’s like his head’s not in it. And whatever’s going on with Jessa is just making it worse.”

I arched a brow. “So, what you’re saying is… he’s catching feelings.”

He shot me a look. “For my sister?”

I shrugged, half–smiling. “Could be worse. Could be Daniel.”

“I heard that,” Daniel muttered.

“Good,” I said. “Maybe it’ll inspire self–awareness.”

That got the guys laughing again. But when I looked back at Jackson, the humor was gone from his face. He was watching the hallway again, his jaw tight, his hand drumming restlessly on the table.

“You know,” I said after a moment, “for a guy who acts like he doesn’t care about gossip, you’re staring really hard.”

He exhaled sharply. “It’s not gossip. I just don’t like seeing her get pulled into… whatever that is. She’s already been through enough.”

“Through enough, or through enough because of you?” I asked lightly, but there was weight behind it. His eyes flicked to me, defensive. “Relax, QB. I’m not accusing you of anything. I just mean–maybe the way people treat Jessa has something to do with the fact that you’ve let them.”

That hit a nerve. His expression hardened. “I don’t let people—”

18:35 Mon, Oct 13

There was a flicker of something in his voice–something protective but also uncertain. It was the first time I’d ever seen Jackson Lombardi, Mr. Cool–and–Composed, genuinely flustered.

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