I'm trying to think of (word for) an emotion that isn't love (tried, wasn't worth it) and isn't hate (because hate is just a depressing emotion unless it's really love, then it's sexy and okay), it's not quite disdain or pity, but not quite curiosity or desire ... It's not envy, it's not protectiveness, it's not friendship. Definitely not regret. But certainly not arousal.  The closest I can think of so far is 'a test', but that's not quite it either...

Tricky, tricky. 

Words fail me. Hide from me. That's a rare condition for an egomaniacal grammar Nazi to catch.