Chapter 61: Another One

Damien And now it was a no, no matter how anyone tried to put it or how it tried to sound. She had told me no, and that was what kept sounding in my head as I stood up from my humbled position and pulled myself to my feet. "I can't deal with this," she had said. But I knew what it was. And boy, did it hurt like a bitch. It hurt so badly; I felt it in my chest, squeezing me to kingdom come. So this is how it felt, huh? This is what it felt like to be rejected. It hurt like hell—insanely, in fact—so much so that I couldn't bear to stay there. All I wanted was to run away. I chuckled nervously, not wanting her to see the expression or the feelings that had bubbled up inside me. *You feel sorry for me, right?* I asked myself as I slowly inched away from her. That was the last thing I wanted. Unable to help myself, I simply slunk back to my chair and continued working. I had learned time and time again that personal stuff and work didn't tend to mix so well. Maintaining a level head