He does as she bids him, sitting up and propping himself up on one hand. Not expecting her to tell him these things, he's rendered silent (just how many men before him had been unsuccessful?). These reassurances are different.
She grasps his free hand, and he squeezes her fingers lightly.
"Of course I trust you, honey."
A beat.
"It's just that I don't trust guys with you. Listen, I come from a long line of overprotective husbands, boyfriends, and brothers, okay, so y'know, sometimes I just can't help feeling the way I do, 'cause guys can be real jerks. And I know you don't need protecting or whatever and I know you can handle yourself just fine, I know all this, which is why I'm tryin' not to make a big deal out of it, which is another thing I tend to do, make big deals out of things, but basically what I'm sayin' is that, yeah, I trust you, but if some other guy comes onto you or thinks he can treat you like crap, you can't expect me to just sit back. I know you ain't 'mine' to defend, but I like you, and I don't wanna see you hurt."
no subject
She grasps his free hand, and he squeezes her fingers lightly.
"Of course I trust you, honey."
A beat.
"It's just that I don't trust guys with you. Listen, I come from a long line of overprotective husbands, boyfriends, and brothers, okay, so y'know, sometimes I just can't help feeling the way I do, 'cause guys can be real jerks. And I know you don't need protecting or whatever and I know you can handle yourself just fine, I know all this, which is why I'm tryin' not to make a big deal out of it, which is another thing I tend to do, make big deals out of things, but basically what I'm sayin' is that, yeah, I trust you, but if some other guy comes onto you or thinks he can treat you like crap, you can't expect me to just sit back. I know you ain't 'mine' to defend, but I like you, and I don't wanna see you hurt."