Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 58

Mariah

My mouth was still hanging open as I stared at Jessa. She stood there like a statue, her cheeks flushed and her wide eyes shimmering under the bright stadium lights. The crowd was still roaring from the win, but it felt like the whole world had gone quiet around us.

Noah had just kissed her.

Like… really kissed her.

And then Jackson went full-on caveman, practically dragging Noah off her like some jealous protector in a bad teen drama.

“Holy crap,” I muttered under my breath, trying to process the chaos I’d just witnessed.

Jessa’s lips parted like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She just stood there, frozen, clutching at the shirt I’d made for her like it was a lifeline. She looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

My heart twisted. She was stunned, hurt, embarrassed—all at once.

Meanwhile, Jackson was storming across the field, his broad shoulders tense, practically radiating fury.

“Oh no, no, no,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not happening.”

I grabbed Jessa’s arm gently. “Stay here, okay? Don’t move. I’ll handle this.”

She nodded numbly, still shell-shocked, and I took off after her idiot brother.

It wasn’t easy catching up to him—he moved like a freight train when he was pissed—but I finally managed to snag his arm near the edge of the parking lot.

“Jackson!” I snapped, yanking on him hard enough to make him spin around. “Would you stop acting like a complete Neanderthal for five freaking seconds?”

His eyes were wild, chest still heaving from either the game or the fight—I couldn’t tell which.

“Mariah, don’t start with me right now. You saw what he was doing!”

“Yes, Jackson, I did see,” I shot back, jabbing a finger into his chest. “I saw Noah kiss Jessa. You know what I didn’t see? Him hurting her. Or disrespecting her. Or any of the garbage you’re acting like just happened!”

Jackson’s jaw clenched. “She’s my sister, Mariah. I’m not just going to stand there and let him—”

“Let him what?” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “Like her? Treat her like she’s actually worth something? God forbid a guy look at Jessa and see her for once!”

That made him flinch. Good. He needed to hear it.

“Do you have any idea what it’s like for her, Jackson?” I went on, my anger fueled by years of watching Jessa shrink into herself. “She’s spent her entire life in your shadow. Always ‘Jackson Lombardi’s twin,’ never just Jessa. People at school barely even notice she exists unless they’re making fun of her—and you let it happen!”

His eyes flashed. “That’s not fair.”

“No, what’s not fair is how she feels about herself because of it!” I practically shouted. “You’re the golden boy—the quarterback, the popular one, the guy everyone worships. And she’s… just your sister. The quiet, awkward one no one takes seriously. She has zero self-confidence because she’s constantly comparing herself to you. And you? You’ve done nothing to change that!”

Jackson’s expression flickered, guilt flashing across his face, but his stubbornness didn’t let up. “I’ve protected her,” he said defensively.

“Protected her?” I let out a humorless laugh. “No, Jackson. You’ve controlled her. You’ve kept her so sheltered and invisible that she doesn’t even know how to stand up for herself. The second she tries to step out of that box—even just by wearing a shirt with your stupid number on it—people tear her down. And now, when someone finally notices her in a good way, what do you do? You explode like some territorial caveman!”

His face reddened. “This isn’t about me being territorial. Noah’s supposed to be my best friend. He knows Jessa is off limits.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “Maybe Jessa isn’t some prize you get to claim as ‘off limits.’ Did you ever think of that? Maybe she gets to decide who she likes. Maybe she deserves someone who actually sees her.”

Jackson’s mouth opened, then closed. For a second, he just stood there, looking completely lost.

“Jessa’s never been enough for herself,” I said, my voice softening but still firm. “She walks through life thinking she’s invisible—or worse, a joke. And that’s partly because of how you’ve let everyone treat her. Including yourself.”

He flinched again, this time like I’d hit him.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down just a little. “You want to protect her? Fine. Then start by letting her live her life. Let her have one freaking moment where she feels like the main character instead of just your sidekick.”

Jackson didn’t respond right away. His jaw worked like he was grinding his teeth, but there was no comeback. No anger left to throw back at me.

Finally, he muttered, “If Noah hurts her, I swear—”

“Then you deal with it if it happens,” I interrupted sharply. “But don’t ruin something before it even starts just because you can’t handle the idea of Jessa being happy with someone who isn’t you.”

I stepped back, my heart still racing, and gave him one last glare.

“Now pull yourself together, quarterback. Because the only person you’re hurting right now is your sister.”

Then I turned and headed back toward Jessa, leaving him standing there under the stadium lights, looking like a boy who didn’t know what to do for the first time in his life.