Semua Bab Invisible To Her Bully: Bab 141 - Bab 150

Jessa If my heart beat any harder, Benny’s vinyl booth was going to crack. I told myself to breathe, to act normal, to be chill — but apparently my body heard that request and decided to reject it violently, because I could not calm down to save my life. Noah Carter asked me out. And I was sitting here, across from him, eating fries and staring at the boy who used to roll his eyes at me and call me “Lombardi, seriously?” like I was a pop quiz he didn’t study for. Except tonight, he wasn’t that boy. Tonight, he was… different. Softer. More real somehow. His voice was lower when he talked just to me. He leaned forward like what I said mattered. He kept smiling like this was exactly where he wanted to be. Which made no sense. I dipped a fry in ketchup to keep my hands from fidgeting. “You really remembered I like strawberry milkshakes?” He stirred his with his straw, eyes flicking up to mine. “Of course I remembered.” My chest did a weird squeeze. I tried to breathe nor

MariahThe sun was too damn bright for how early it was, but at least Jessa was practically glowing in it.She climbed into my car, hair brushed, lip gloss on, and that little smile tugging at her mouth that she tried — and failed — to hide.I buckled up, glanced over at her, and grinned. “Alright. You’re smiling way too much for a Monday. Spill it.”Jessa blinked innocently. “Spill what?”I gave her a look. “Oh, don’t you dare. You know exactly what.”She turned toward the window, all fake nonchalance. “We just hung out.”“Uh-huh,” I said, pulling out of her driveway. “And did you just hang out the way people just talk in a rom-com before the kissing starts?”Her head whipped around. “Mariah!”“Oh my God,” I gasped dramatically. “You did! You kissed him!”Her face went full tomato. “You’re ridiculous.”“No, no — you’re ridiculous. You made out with Noah Carter and thought I wouldn’t find out?”“We didn’t make out!”I raised a brow. “Define didn’t.”She groaned. “It just… happened, ok

MariahThe fries were long gone, and my soda was flat, but Jackson hadn’t moved from his side of the car.He was leaned back, one arm slung casually over the seat, his eyes on the faint glow of the diner’s sign outside.If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was carved from stillness — except I could see it, that quiet churn behind his calm.It was almost funny, this version of him.Quarterback. Captain. The guy every girl in Ridgeville sighed over.And here he was, tripping over whatever this was between us.I picked at the straw wrapper, smirking. “You know, sneaking around with you is kind of fun.”His brow shot up. “Fun?”“Yeah,” I said, stretching the word. “You know, very Lifetime TV movie. Forbidden love. Star-crossed hearts. Two beautiful idiots hiding from the world.”He snorted. “You calling me an idiot?”“If the cleats fit,” I teased.That got me the smallest grin — and maybe a touch of color in his cheeks.I leaned back, pretending to study my nails. “But seriously. I like

JessaThe smell of French fries filled Mariah’s car, hot and salty and exactly what I needed after a day like today.She’d barely parked before passing me the bag.“Eat,” she said. “You look like you went ten rounds with a bulldozer.”“I kind of did,” I muttered, unwrapping one and biting into it.She gave me that sharp, perceptive look — the one that said spill it.“Daniel,” I said finally.Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “What did that asshole say now?”I repeated it — not every word, but enough. The tone. The insult. The way he’d said big girls don’t get guys like Noah like it was gospel.By the time I finished, Mariah was vibrating. “That son of a—” She stopped, then took a deep breath. “No. Nope. I promised myself I wouldn’t get arrested for murder before Homecoming.”I almost laughed, which helped. “He’s not worth it.”She turned to me, her voice softer. “No, but you are. And that’s what pisses me off. Daniel’s the type who can’t stand other people being happy. He’s m

JessaThe house was finally still.Mom had gone to bed hours ago, and the only sound was the faint thump of music coming from Jackson’s room — the sound of victory. The game updates had already spread through every group chat in school: Ridgeville 21, Clearwater 14.I smiled to myself, sitting cross-legged on my bed, hair damp from the shower, a loose T-shirt hanging off my shoulder. Jackson had come home loud and happy, still in half his gear, sweaty and beaming. He’d tossed his duffel by the door, bragged about “the block of the season,” and disappeared into his room without even noticing that I couldn’t stop smiling too.Because it wasn’t just his win.It was Noah’s too.And somewhere in the middle of cheering for my brother, I’d realized I was cheering for him just as much.My phone buzzed on the nightstand.I reached for it, expecting a text from Mariah — probably a meme about Jackson’s dramatic post-game interview face.But it wasn’t her.It was Noah Carter.My heart stuttered.