Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Jackson

For a long minute after Noah walked off, everything just… stopped.

like it was underwater.

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The music still pulsed through the walls, but it sounded far away

Daniel was leaning against a truck, one hand pressed to his split lip, muttering curses under his breath. A few kids hung back, whispering, eyes wide, phones still raised like this was just another piece of Ridgeville drama to post about later.

And me?

—

I just stood there, heart pounding, watching Noah disappear into the dark my best friend since third grade, the guy who’d always had my back, walking away like I was just another stranger.

It didn’t feel real.

“Guy’s psycho,” Daniel finally said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “All that over your sister? He’s lost it.”

That did it.

Something inside me snapped clean in two.

“Shut up, Daniel.”

He turned, giving me that smirk he always wore when he thought he was being clever. “What, you gonna hit me next? Jesus, what’s in the water tonight?”

I took a step closer, jaw tight. “You think that crap you said was funny?”

He shrugged. “It was a joke, man. Relax. Everyone laughs about that stuff. You have before.”

My stomach twisted. “What did you just say?”

Daniel straightened a little, seeing the shift in my face but too dumb to stop talking. “Since when do you even care? You’ve laughed along plenty of times when people talked about your sister. Don’t pretend you’re suddenly Saint Jackson.”

His words hit harder than any punch Noah threw.

Because deep down – he wasn’t wrong.

I’d laughed it off.

I’d let people talk because it was easier than standing up every damn time.

And now that truth burned in my chest like fire.

18:19 Wed, Oct 15

Chapter 95

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I swallowed hard, voice rough when I finally spoke. “Yeah,” I said quietly, “I did. I laughed. I didn’t stop it. And

that’s on me.”

Daniel looked confused, maybe even nervous at how calm I sounded.

“But it stops now,” I said, stepping closer, eyes locked on his. “You don’t talk about her again. Not her, not anyone like that. Got it?”

He blinked, backing up a half–step. “You’re serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

He scoffed, trying to recover his ego. “Man, you’re acting like she’s some kind of victim. Everyone’s fair game around here.”

“Not anymore,” I said. My voice came out sharper than I meant, cutting through the tension still hanging in the air. “You cross that line again, and I swear you’ll wish Noah had been the one to hit you.”

For once, Daniel didn’t have a comeback. His smirk slipped, and he looked away. The rest of the group that had been lingering started to scatter fast — realizing this wasn’t going back to normal.

I let out a slow breath, forcing my hands to unclench. My pulse was still racing, anger and guilt twisting together until I didn’t know which one hurt more.

Because Daniel was right I hadn’t done enough.

—

I’d stood by while my best friend tried to protect Jessa more than I ever had.

You think I’m the one who’s bad for Jessa? Maybe you should look around.

Noah’s words echoed in my head, heavy and deserved.

I turned, scanning the crowd until I found her.

Jessa stood near the porch, Mariah beside her. She looked shaken but steady, her shoulders drawn tight, eyes red but dry. The kind of look that said she’d built another wall just to survive the night.

I walked toward them slowly, every step heavier than the last.

“You okay?” I asked when I got close enough.

Jessa’s eyes flicked up at me, unreadable. “I’m fine.”

Her voice said otherwise, but I didn’t push it. Mariah gave me a silent don’t start anything look, and I just

nodded.

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