Unwanted emotions

Ave stood outside the dining hall, stunned and a little bit hurt by Lucian's behavior, even though she told herself she didn't give a damn, as it was for the best he treated her this way rather than being sweet to her, which was hard to resist like last night. If he continued to treat her the way he did the other night, it would only be a matter of days before she'd end up breaking the walls she had built around her heart and mind to keep herself protected from any emotions of attachment and feelings.

She didn't belong here and didn't want to belong, she didn't have a home here nor a body of her own, and the fact that being around this prince would break the hardened walls around her heart, she would rather he keep ignoring her until she would find her way back. But deep down, she felt her chest constricting at the way he ignored her and an emotion she didn't recognize rising to her throat, which she swallowed back.