Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 22

Noah

Saturday night, and Daniel’s house is already packed to the brim.

Music pounds through the speakers, shaking the walls, while the scent of cheap beer, pizza, and too many bodies crammed together lingers in the air. Laughter and shouting mingle, filling every corner of the house. Typical weekend chaos in Ridgefield.

Jackson and I push our way through the crowd, and as usual, everyone gravitates toward him instantly. Being the star quarterback makes him the unofficial king of this town. I trail behind, my usual role as his best friend, wingman, and occasional troublemaker firmly in place.

“Carter!” Daniel shouts the second he sees me. He slaps me on the back with enough force to rattle my teeth. “Man, you missed it! Luke just tried to backflip off the porch railing.”

I smirk, already picturing the disaster. “Let me guess—he face-planted?”

“Like a champ.” Daniel howls with laughter, practically doubling over. “The dude might have a concussion, but it was worth it.”

Jackson shakes his head, chuckling. “You idiots are going to kill yourselves one day.”

The conversation drifts around me, but I’m only half-listening. My eyes scan the crowd automatically, looking for a familiar messy bun or Mariah’s distinctive laugh.

But Jessa’s nowhere to be found.

I tell myself it doesn’t matter. That whether she shows up tonight or not has zero effect on me.

Except… it does.

Last weekend keeps replaying in my head like a highlight reel I can’t shut off—her face when everyone laughed during that stupid game of spin the bottle, the way her whole body seemed to cave inward like she was physically shrinking from the room.

And me?

I just stood there.

Worse—I forced a laugh to fit in.

I should’ve stopped it. I could’ve stopped it.

Instead, I did nothing, and now she’s not here. Maybe she’s avoiding this party because of me.

The guilt chews at me, sour and sharp, and I drown it with a sip of beer.

⸻

Jackson elbows me lightly. “Dude, you’ve been staring at the doorway for ten minutes. You expecting a pizza delivery or something?”

I roll my eyes. “Just keeping an eye on the crowd.”

“Uh-huh.” His grin turns knowing. “Relax, man. Honestly, it’s probably better if Jessa skips tonight. Less drama.”

My chest tightens. “Drama?”

Jackson sighs. “Daniel’s been talking trash again, and you know how sensitive Jess can be.”

Before I can answer, Daniel himself appears with a fresh drink and his usual cocky smirk. “Speaking of sensitive… I really hope your sister doesn’t crash this party tonight, Jackson.”

My jaw snaps tight.

Jackson frowns. “Why would you say that?”

Daniel shrugs, grinning wider. “Because every time she shows up, the vibe dies. She just stands there, looking miserable, like she’s silently judging everyone. Total buzzkill.”

“Daniel,” Jackson warns, his voice sharp, “shut up.”

Daniel raises his hands, mock innocent. “Relax, man. I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”

Jackson groans, rubbing his face, clearly done with the conversation. “Whatever. Just don’t start anything.”

That’s it? Don’t start anything?

That’s all he’s going to say when his own sister is getting ripped apart right in front of him?

I want to call Daniel out so badly my teeth ache. But if I do, the guys will twist it, make jokes about me having a thing for Jessa.

So I do what I always do.

I stay silent.

And it feels like choking on glass.

⸻

The night drags.

I play a round of beer pong, I laugh at stupid stories, I nod along when Daniel talks about our upcoming game. But none of it feels right. The whole time, my eyes keep flicking to the door.

Hoping.

Dreading.

When the front door opens and it’s just another random couple walking in, disappointment stabs through me sharper than I want to admit.

“Man, relax,” Jackson says, handing me another beer. “You look like you’re waiting for the world’s most boring surprise party.”

“Daniel,” Jackson snaps, stepping forward. “Knock it off.”

Daniel smirks. “Relax, man. That was a compliment.”

“Didn’t sound like one,” Jackson growls, his protective older brother side finally kicking in.

But when he turns to Jessa, his annoyance morphs into shock. His mouth actually falls open a little. “Jess… wow. You… you look completely different.”

She gives him a small, nervous smile. “Thanks, I guess.”

Her voice is quiet, but I hear the tremor in it. The way she’s holding on by a thread, desperate to not fall apart in front of everyone.

I take a step toward her before I realize what I’m doing. My chest feels too tight, my pulse hammering in my ears.

“Jessa,” I start, my voice low.

But the words stick in my throat.

What do I even say? You look beautiful? I’m sorry for letting them tear you apart while I stayed silent?

None of it seems like enough. None of it will fix what I’ve broken.

So I shove my hands in my pockets and force a smirk, slipping on the mask I always wear around the guys.

“Hey,” I say casually, like my heart isn’t pounding. “You, uh… clean up nice.”

Her gaze meets mine for the briefest second, searching for sincerity I’m too much of a coward to show. Then she forces a polite smile.

“Thanks,” she murmurs, and walks past me into the crowd.

⸻

As she disappears into the swarm of people, Daniel leans in close with a smirk.

“Guess she’s not so invisible anymore, huh?”

I glare at him, but I don’t respond.

Because if I open my mouth right now, I’m not sure what will come out—defending her, admitting what I really feel, or maybe confessing how terrified I am of everyone else seeing what I’ve been trying so hard to hide.

That Jessa Lombardi is impossible to ignore.

And she always has been.