Emmeline couldn't help the raising of a brow at his initial words with a slight shake of her head. Did he not realize it was all knew to her, too? She knew he was experienced in other ways far more than she was but she hadn't expected him to have experience with what was happening between them. She was grateful he didn't. It wouldn't mean the same if he'd told another girl things similar to what he'd told her. That would hurt.

"And you think I'm not scared?" she asked simply, brow still raised with an incredulous tone to her words. He had to see that he wasn't the only one there in that situation. He wasn't alone.

Sighing, she tried to look up to him with a smile but she was still frustrated. The whole situation was frustrating and she couldn't just forget the hurt she'd felt in that moment. But she rested her hands on his arms after he'd placed them on her hips. She wasn't pulling away so that was something at the very least as she gently squeezed his arms.

"I don't need you to treat me specially or to be better," she answered, her tone serious but gentle, "I just need you to be honest. With yourself and with me. We can brave the unknown together. But I can't do it by myself and I can't do it in the dark."

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