Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 46

Jessa

The hallway was still buzzing like a kicked beehive when Mariah strutted back to our lockers. She looked way too pleased with herself, like she’d just conquered a small country and didn’t even break a sweat doing it.

I raised an eyebrow, closing my locker door with a soft click. “Okay… what was that all about?”

Mariah leaned casually against the locker beside mine, flipping her hair over her shoulder like she was starring in some teen drama. “Oh, nothing,” she said, voice dripping with fake innocence. “Just… you know, clearing the air.”

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes. “Mariah…”

She smirked, the corners of her mouth tilting up in that smug little way that drove me crazy. “Relax, Jess. Sometimes people need to hear the truth. And trust me, it felt really good saying it.”

I shook my head, half amused, half terrified. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, I totally did.” Her grin widened. “And honestly? Your brother needed to be knocked down a peg or two. The way he just stands there while his friends trash talk you? Nope. Not on my watch.”

My stomach twisted. I glanced past her, over to where Jackson and his group were gathered near their lockers. The guys were practically doubled over, laughing and elbowing each other like they’d just witnessed the funniest thing in the world.

Jackson stood in the middle of them, his face a deep shade of red. Even from here, I could tell he was swearing under his breath.

“Wow,” I muttered. “You really gave it to him, didn’t you?”

Mariah gave a little shrug, unapologetic. “Maybe.”

“Mariah…” I said again, trying to sound stern, but honestly? A tiny part of me wanted to laugh. It wasn’t often that someone threw Jackson off his golden-boy game like that.

But then my gaze shifted.

Right beside Jackson was Noah.

He wasn’t laughing like the rest of them. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at Jackson. He was just… standing there, leaning against his locker with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his expression strangely tense.

Almost like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Then, as if he felt me watching, his head turned.

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