Invisible To Her Bully Chapter 61

Jackson

Saturday morning wasn’t anything like I’d pictured.

I should’ve been riding high after last night — we’d pulled off a huge win under the lights, the kind of game that everyone in town would be talking about for weeks. The crowd was wild, the field electric. Afterward, Coach had walked me over to meet the recruiter I’d been dreaming about since summer.

He told me I had real potential, that I’d caught his eye.

It was the exact moment I’d been working for.

I should’ve woken up today floating on that victory.

But instead, I sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the closed hallway door that led to Jessa’s room. My stomach twisted like I’d swallowed a rock.

She hadn’t come out once. Not for breakfast. Not for water. Nothing.

Something had happened last night — something bad.

I saw Noah kiss her, and yeah, that had been a shock in itself, but I could tell from Jessa’s face afterward that there was more to the story.

I hadn’t even been able to talk to her about it, not with the chaos of the post-game celebration and everyone crowding the field. She’d just disappeared, and Mariah had practically dragged her away.

And now, she was locked away in her room like the whole world had ended.

The knock on the front door nearly made me jump. I shot to my feet, half-hoping it was Mariah.

When I opened the door, sure enough, there she was — hoodie zipped up tight, hair pulled back in a messy bun, looking like she hadn’t slept either.

Her eyes immediately scanned my face, then flicked past me toward the hallway. “How is she?”

“She hasn’t gotten out of bed,” I admitted, stepping aside so she could come in.

Mariah stormed inside without hesitation, her energy a mix of anger and worry.

“Mariah,” I started, closing the door behind us, “wait.”

She spun to face me, her hands on her hips, fire flashing in her eyes.

“No, you wait, Jackson Lombardi. Your sister is wrecked right now, and you’re standing around like you don’t know what to do.”

My jaw tightened. “I don’t know what to do, okay? I don’t even know what the hell happened last night. I saw Noah kiss her — which was a shock on its own — but clearly something else went down. So, yeah, I’m a little lost here. What happened, Mariah?”

For a moment, she hesitated, like she was debating how much to tell me.

Her shoulders slumped just slightly, but her voice stayed sharp. “Daniel ran his mouth. Said some cruel things. The kind that cut deep — and Jessa heard every word.”

My chest went tight.

“What kind of things?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

Mariah crossed her arms, anger sparking again. “The kind of things that make a girl feel like she’s worth nothing. That the only reason people even notice her is to tear her down. And after everything Jessa’s been through, after how hard she’s been trying lately, it broke her, Jackson. It broke her.”

I dragged a hand down my face, my mind replaying the image of Jessa’s tear-streaked face last night.

“And Noah?” I asked tightly. “Where does he fit into this? Because I saw him with her. He kissed her. Don’t tell me that didn’t have something to do with it.”

Mariah’s jaw clenched. She didn’t answer right away, which only made my blood pressure spike higher.

“Mariah,” I growled, “tell me.”

She exhaled sharply. “I don’t think he meant to hurt her. But… he was part of it, whether he realized it or not. Jessa thought maybe he actually liked her, Jackson. That she mattered to him. And then Daniel twisted the knife and made it sound like everything between them was just a joke. Like she was just—”

She broke off, shaking her head furiously. “She felt humiliated. And Noah? He didn’t do a damn thing to stop it.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides. I wanted to march over to Noah’s house and beat the truth out of him.

He’d been my teammate, my friend. And yeah, we joked, we talked trash, but my sister was off-limits.

The fact that he’d let Daniel say something like that… no, the fact that he’d made her think he really cared and then didn’t defend her?

Unforgivable.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want her mixed up with him,” I muttered, pacing the living room. “And now look what happened. She’s locked away in her room, and I can’t even—” I broke off, raking both hands through my hair.

Mariah stepped into my path, blocking me from pacing.

“Jackson, listen to me. You can be angry at Noah all you want, but right now, Jessa needs you. She doesn’t need you storming off to fight someone or making this about revenge. She needs her brother.”

Her voice cracked a little on the last part, and something inside me shifted.

I looked at her — really looked at her.

The frustration, the fear, the determination to protect Jessa… it all came spilling out of her.

“Mariah,” I said slowly, “you were with her last night. Tell me the truth. How bad was it?”

Mariah’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Bad enough that she didn’t want to leave my car when we got here. She just sat there, crying, like she couldn’t face walking inside. Bad enough that she didn’t say a single word to me the whole drive back.”

My throat tightened.

That wasn’t my Jessa. She was shy, sure, and quiet around most people — but around me and Mom, she always had a little spark.

And now that spark was gone.

“Damn it,” I whispered, pressing a hand to the back of my neck. “I should’ve done more. I should’ve—”

“Yeah,” Mariah cut in bluntly, though her tone wasn’t unkind. “You should’ve.”

Her words stung because they were true. I’d let my position on the team and my popularity blind me.

I’d heard the teasing. I’d seen the way people whispered behind her back. And instead of shutting it down, I’d looked the other way.

Because it was easier.

Now she was paying the price for my silence.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet Mariah’s gaze. “Tell me what I can do. Please.”

She studied me for a long moment before answering. “Be her brother. Really be there for her, Jackson. Stop worrying so much about what your friends will think or how it’ll look. She needs to know you have her back, no matter what.”

I nodded slowly, determination settling over me. “I will. I swear.”

Mariah’s expression softened. Then she hesitated, glancing toward Jessa’s door before looking back at me.

“There’s also going to be a celebration after the next game,” she said quietly. “If things go well, I’d like Jessa to come. To feel like she belongs, even just for one night. But that means you need to make damn sure your so-called friends don’t ruin it for her.”

I tilted my head, studying her. “And if I pull that off… what do I get out of it?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood just a fraction.

Mariah arched a brow, clearly unimpressed. “Seriously?”

I smirked, leaning closer. “Yeah. Seriously. What’s in it for me?”

She stepped in until there was barely an inch between us, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper.

“Maybe,” she said, her lips curling into a wicked little smile, “you’ll get a date with me.”

My breath caught, and for a second, all the noise in my head stilled.

Then she spun on her heel, heading toward Jessa’s room and leaving me standing there, dazed and burning, my heart pounding for a completely different reason.

But as quickly as that moment came, it vanished when I remembered why she was here in the first place.

Jessa.

My twin.

The girl I’d failed to protect.

I wasn’t going to fail her again.