Does avoiding a person mean I have not truly forgiven them?

This individual has been belligerent in the past causing a lot of grief to myself. I've felt a great deal of animosity towards this individual in the past but after some time forgave them. The forgiveness felt cleansing, but I still avoid contact. I feel that the spirit of forgiveness should be like starting from a *tabula rasa* but am concerned about a repetition of the past. How should I react according to the precepts of Buddhism ? I feel that if I avoid the person, I have not truly forgiven them in my heart.