Fear that you will care for her again? Fear that she may actually want an intimate R again? Or worse, fear that she may want nothing except the friendship or strictly professional R?
The honest, brutal truth for me? There are people that I don't care for and will always keep at arms length. There are only two people that I can think of that I intend to avoid for the rest of my life and those are people that I cared deeply for, and was rejected by. I will keep them at arms length only because I will not risk being rejected by them specifically, ever again.
You are far more brave than I am, Val. Which is why I feel comfortable badgering you.
