he was afraid
Examples
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.
For weeks Tyrone thought he was going to die any minute, and there were also times when he was afraid he wasnt going to die.
Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn't know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves.
One who pursues a goal through sinful ways, will ironically distance himself from that goal, and will approach what he was afraid of.
He feared neither God, nor devil, nor man, nor wind, nor sea, nor his own conscience. And I believe he hated everybody and everything. But I think he was afraid to die. I believe I am the only man who ever stood up to him.
Few artists have ever battled so manfully with management or so unheitatingly sassed the press. He was afraid of nobody because his heart was pure.