Stay Fearless

Juniper

I frowned at the professor as she droned on and on about enforcing boundaries, which included not letting people tell you what to do or push you to do something you were uncomfortable with.

That went against everything I’d been taught.

As a kid, I was scared of everything. I was a shy child, and it had driven my dad nuts. He was outgoing and adventurous, always wanting to try something new. And when he’d been saddled with me after my mom passed away when I was just a baby in a car accident, he’d quickly come to realize I was the polar opposite of him. Even as a baby, I was pretty quiet. As a toddler, I didn’t like playing with others, and I screamed and cried when something scared me.

My father always forced me to push past my fear, even if it made me so scared that I threw up. And while, yeah, a lot of people didn’t think that I was okay, I’d experienced a lot of things I otherwise would have never experienced.

I raised my hand, and the professor looked at me in surprise. Didn’t blame her, really. I rarely ever spoke up in class, and if I did, it was only because she’d called on me to answer a question. “Yes, Juniper? Would you like to add something?”

I nodded. “What you’re saying about boundaries—I don’t agree with it,” I told her. Her eyebrows shot up into her forehead. I flushed, embarrassed. “My dad always taught me to face my fears.” I swallowed thickly when every pair of eyes in the classroom turned toward me. I hated being the center of attention and public speaking. “I don’t see how doing something my dad pushed me to do was violating some kind of boundary.”

“Actually, that’s a huge violation of your boundaries,” a guy a few rows over from me spoke up. He had dark hair that sort of fell into his eyes with eyes almost just as dark. He was a bit lanky, but his legs were long and stretched out in front of him. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. “If you’re uncomfortable with something, no one—and that includes your parents—should force you to do it.”

My frown deepened. “But he’s my dad. Doesn’t he know what’s best for me?”

He quirked a brow at me. “And aren’t you an adult now, capable of making your own decisions?” he fired back.

I gritted my teeth and turned my gaze back to the front. The professor looked pleasantly surprised. “Actually, Juniper, William is right. Parents don’t always know what’s right. Only you can decide that for yourself. If you’re uncomfortable with something, you shouldn’t be forced to do it.”

I clenched my hands into fists beneath my desk, hiding them between my thighs. My dad had never allowed me to be hurt. Had I fallen a lot as a kid doing some of the things he’d wanted me to do? Sure. But I had never received more than a few scrapes and bruises. It wasn’t like I was truly harmed.

She continued on with her lecture, but I zoned out. I didn’t even notice she had dismissed class until I noticed everyone around me was getting out of their seats. Muttering a curse under my breath, I quickly shoved my notebook into my bag and stood up.

“Hey—Juniper, right?”

I looked up at William. He was easily a foot taller than my short, curvy frame. He pushed his hair out of his face, a small smile on his lips. “This might be pretty bold of me to ask, but can I get your number?”

I scowled. Was he for real right now?

I scoffed and rudely shoved past him, hoping he got the memo.

The audacity of that boy.