I hope before anyone points out how dumb it is for her to avoid him when it is evident that she wants otherwise, we understand why she contradicts herself because it's not completely baseless. Allow me to remind anyone reading this that she had an ex-boyfriend who seemed to be quite clingy, and it came to a point where she realized his behavior was overbearing. It was anything but good since it started causing her to feel uneasy, perhaps realizing along the way that she didn’t like that at all. Some might still try to do something about it by communicating, but it wouldn’t be the same for some who strongly feel the behavior or attitude of their partner is too off-putting. That said, it makes much more sense that she is having a dilemma. She doesn't want to be the same kind as her ex-boyfriend, especially in the context of being busy with work. Geez.
Author’s thinking should stay within the box