Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 14

Noah

The party had been going strong for over an hour, and the place was packed with bodies, music, and the smell of cheap beer and pizza. Jackson’s parents were out of town, which meant no rules, no curfew, and no one to stop us from being stupid.

Perfect Friday night.

Daniel and I were standing near the snack table when Jackson jogged over, a mischievous grin plastered across his face. That grin only meant one thing: trouble.

“Spin the bottle,” he said, his voice loud enough to catch the attention of half the room. “We’re starting a game in the living room. Everyone’s in. Let’s go!”

Daniel groaned. “Seriously? Are we in middle school again?”

Jackson just shrugged, his grin widening. “Hey, you never know where the bottle might land.” He waggled his eyebrows, already scanning the room for girls.

I chuckled. “Fine, let’s do it. Maybe it’ll spice things up.”

We followed Jackson back to the living room, where a group was already gathering in a messy circle. People were laughing, drinks in hand, shouting out rules and teasing each other.

That’s when I saw her.

Jessa.

She was sitting off to the side with Mariah, nursing a cup of punch and trying to look invisible. It didn’t work—not for me, anyway.

Even in that ridiculous layered outfit, my eyes found her like they always did. The soft waves of her dark hair framed her face, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the crowded room. She looked… different tonight. Braver somehow. Like she was trying to be part of something she didn’t usually let herself touch.

And yeah, she was still curvy, still bigger than most of the girls here—but damn if there wasn’t something about her that got under my skin.

Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.

Teasing her was safer. Easier.

“Jessa!” Mariah called out when she noticed the circle forming. “Come on, let’s play!”

Jessa’s eyes widened, panic flickering across her face. She shook her head. “No way. I don’t want to.”

“Come on,” Mariah coaxed, tugging on her arm. “It’ll be fun. You don’t have to kiss anyone if you don’t want to. Just sit with me, okay?”

Jessa bit her lip, clearly torn.

“Don’t be a killjoy, Jess!” Jackson added, grinning at his twin like she was being ridiculous. “It’s just a game. Besides, you might get lucky.”

The room erupted in laughter, and Jessa’s face turned crimson. She muttered something under her breath, but Mariah didn’t give her a chance to back out. She pulled Jessa into the circle and plopped her down between them.

I was directly across from her.

Our eyes met for a split second before she looked away, fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt. My chest tightened in a way I didn’t like.

“Alright,” Jackson announced, holding up an empty glass bottle like a prize. “Rules are simple: you spin, you kiss whoever it lands on. No take-backs, no chickening out.”

The group cheered.

“Ladies first,” someone yelled.

A girl named Brianna volunteered, giggling as she gave the bottle a spin. It landed on Daniel, who smirked like he’d just won the lottery. Everyone cheered louder as they kissed—a dramatic, over-the-top peck that had people whistling.

Round after round, the game went on. Some people kissed like they meant it, others kept it quick and awkward.

Then it was my turn.

I reached for the bottle, and a hush fell over the group.

“Let’s go, Carter!” Jackson yelled. “Make it count!”

I grinned, giving the bottle a hard spin. It whirred around the circle, passing over a blur of faces—Brianna, Mariah, a couple of Jackson’s football buddies.

Then it slowed.

Her face crumpled, and before I could react, she scrambled to her feet. “I’m done,” she choked out, her voice breaking.

“Jess—” Jackson reached for her, but she shook him off and bolted.

The laughter died down a little, replaced by awkward murmurs. Mariah shot Jackson a murderous glare before jumping up to chase after Jessa.

I just sat there, frozen, my heart pounding.

The bottle lay still in front of me, pointing at the empty space where Jessa had been.

And for once, I didn’t feel like laughing.

As people started talking again, trying to cover the awkwardness, my mind was a mess.

I’d been teasing Jessa for years. It was just… our thing. She got under my skin, so I got under hers. It was easy.

But tonight hadn’t been easy.

When I saw her across the room earlier, something in me had shifted. She didn’t look invisible tonight, even if she probably thought she did.

She looked… beautiful.

And now, thanks to me standing there like a coward, she probably hated herself more than ever.

Jackson plopped down beside me, shaking his head like this was no big deal. “Man, that was brutal. She’s way too sensitive.”

I clenched my fists under the table. “Yeah,” I muttered, though my throat felt tight.

Because the truth was, she wasn’t too sensitive.

We were just too cruel.

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I could live with that.