Sarah's POV The crushing weight of rejection pressed down on me as I made my way back to the living room, my legs numb from standing in the doorway for so long. Every cell in my body felt wounded, aching with a pain that went beyond the physical. I collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained. I'd tried so hard to ignore these negative emotions, to push them down and pretend they didn't exist. But I couldn't completely digest them, couldn't make them disappear no matter how much I wanted to. "It's okay, Sarah," I whispered to myself in the darkness. "You're doing really well. It's just a little sadness. Sleep, and by morning it will be gone." I sniffled softly, finding a thin blanket to wrap around myself. Curling up on the sofa, I forced my eyes closed and commanded myself

