Heron Lake Plateau Lost some pieces I can't replace

Niamh didn't turn to look at Colt when he spoke to her, but her ears did turn back and her cheeks grew warm. Had she really been thinking about jumping? She gritted her teeth, and turned her muzzle just slightly, to acknowledge that she'd heard him, her heart still beating in her throat. By then, she figured, her answer was as clear as day. She had been thinking about jumping...But the realization startled her, and she felt a strong pang of loneliness and guilt. 

She shook her head, and forced a smile, but there was a shine to her soft, honey eyes, which she couldn't force herself to lift to meet his gaze. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but couldn't make her voice work, so she simply shrugged, and looked away again. She was on the very brink of crumbling, holding herself together as though her life depended on it. She stared out over the plateau with a hard look, doing her best to keep herself together. She still couldn't talk- and she didn't realize it, but she'd begun to hold her breath, simply so that she could keep herself from falling apart.