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“Yes… he’s… different.”

“Different how?”

“Well, he’s an asshole.”

The professor laughed, then held up a hand, apologizing.

“He is. But not always. He’s confusing. One minute he’s trying to run me off, and the next he’s asking me to stay. Or telling me. Or… I don’t know.”

“That does sound confusing. You’re not sure if he told you or asked you to stay after trying to send you away?”

“These two guys attacked me—they got in trouble for it with administration, so it’s handled—and after that, we… talked. He seemed to think I would hurt him. I don’t know how I could do that. He doesn’t know me.”

“People often hurt those they don’t know.”

“I know, but I couldn’t hurt him.”

The professor tilted her head, studying Blaire, and she looked away from the assessing gaze.

“Why?” It was a simple question, but so complicated.

Blaire looked back to the window. “He seemed afraid. He might have protected me from those students, but he seemed afraid. He seemed hurt. I wanted to protect him.” She looked back at the professor. “I wouldn’t want to hurt him if I want to protect him, right?”

“No. I don’t suppose you would. But you mentioned you weren’t sure if he told you or asked you to stay. There’s quite a difference between the two.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When someone makes a request of you, they give you agency to choose what is best for you. When someone tells you what to do, they take that away and make the choice for you.”

Blaire tried to remember Lukas’s exact words but shook her head. “I really can’t remember how he said it.”

“Then let us focus on something else. In the future, try to look at the things he says this way. It’s part of setting healthy boundaries. I’m sure in the time since your family’s passing, your stepbrother has blurred those boundaries in a way that may have stolen your voice.”

Blaire looked down; shame was heavy in her heart.

“It’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong. You didn’t ask for what he did. You were denied the safety and security that was necessary for your growth. I can’t give that to you, but I can give you the tools to reclaim that for yourself.”

“Okay…” Blaire took another sip of her drink and looked up again at the professor. She set boundaries. She’d forged hard lines she didn’t allow Caleb to cross, even to the detriment of her own safety. With Lukas, her boundaries were there. Loose. But she still told him no when he tried to kiss her.

“I… I stopped him from kissing me.”

A slender, copper brow arched as the professor eyed Blaire.

“I got spooked by the storm the other day, and he comforted me. We were so close he leaned in to kiss me… or at least that’s what I thought he wanted.”

“Did you want to kiss him? That’s the important part.”

“Yes… no… I did, but I wasn’t ready for it.”

“That’s okay. That’s a perfectly reasonable answer. It’s completely normal to feel attraction and want to act on those feelings. It’s healthy that you acknowledge your own boundaries within yourself. What happened?”

“I asked him not to. I stopped him.”

“How did he handle it?”

“He looked hurt, but he let me go.”

“Good. Not that he was hurt, but that he respected your wishes. Your boundaries.”