Emerson

Chapter 21.

Emerson's POV

I sit in the chair for an hour staring at Valencia waiting for her to wake up and explain what the hell happened. When Reece was checking on her I noticed several old bruises. 

Most of the visible ones are new from this injury but a few on her arms and face are in one of the several healing stages. A particular nasty green-looking one on her bicep looks vaguely like handprints. 

"You just gonna stare at her?" I look up at Blaine standing in the doorway. 

"Why are you here?" I ask him. 

"Dad asked me to check on you both." He walks further into the room. "So who is she?" He asks me. 

"You've met her." I deadpan.

"I meant to you." He glares at me. 

"She's a classmate," I tell him. 

"You sure she's not a friend."

"We only hang out to do our project. I don't even speak in front of her." 

"So, you don't speak in front of Grandpa. He's still your Grandpa." Blaine shrugs his shoulders. 

"Whatever."

"She's pretty." He says. 

"She's like 15 dude." 

"I don't want to date her." He defends looking disgusted at the prospect. 

I shake my head not bothering to interact with him. I look back at Valencia to see she starting to move around. Twisting her head, twitching her fingers. 

"Get Reece," I tell him, he soundlessly goes out of the room. Valencia sighs as she opens her eyes. She blinks a few times before looking around the room she settles her gaze on me looking a combination of scared and confused. 

"Where am I?" She asks me looking around the room some more.

"You're in our house. One of our guest rooms." Reece comes in answering her question. 

"Why?" She asks looking at him in alarm as he moves closer. He stands next to me. 

"The boys went to your house, you must have grabbed Emerson's notebook. They found you on the floor hurt. I had them bring you back here to help you. Figured you wouldn't like going to the hospital." He explains to her. She nods softly following along with him. "I need to check you over for a concussion. Do you mind?" He asks her. She nods and he sits down on the bed in front of her. 

He pulls out his phone turns on the flashlight and has her track his finger.

"I don't think you have a concussion but you'll probably have a headache." He tells her. 

"How do you know this?" She asks, I agree with her wondering myself. 

"I have 3 brothers and 7 sons. I'm used to injuries." He tells her with a joking notion behind it. 

"Well, I need to go." She says trying to sit up before wincing. 

"Yeah, about that. Valencia you're not going home." He tells her ominously. 

"What do you mean?" She asks looking back at me, I shrug having no idea either. 

"I think we all know why you have these injuries. You have healing cuts and bruises. You rushed out of here last night scared out of your mind and now this." He motions down to her bruised body. 

"You have who knows how many injuries under your clothes. I'm not letting you go back to a house that hurts you. You're going to be staying here for now." He tells her leaving no room for argument. 

"I can't."

"Yes, you can and you will. This is going to be your room. My oldest son's wife, Veronica is coming over tomorrow she's gonna take you shopping." Reece tells her, her mouth drops open a little bit. 

"Dinner is in an hour. I'll let Emerson show you around." Reece stands up and walks out of the room. 

I look at Valencia to see her watching him leave. 

"Was he for real?" She asks me. I nod pretty sure he was real. 

I walk out of the room letting the past 15 minutes settle down for her. I go into my room and play on my phone until it's dinner time. When it's time I head back to Valencia's room. I knock on the door, she pulls it open looking uncomfortable. 

I nod for her to follow me. She gets the hint and follows after me. I led us to the dining room sitting down with her next to me. Dinner is awkward as we get started. 

The only sound is the clinking of silverware and the occasional glass being set down. 

"Valencia, I think you'll like Veronica. She's coming over at around 9." Reece tells her. She nods and continues to eat. 

"Emerson you and Blaine are doing dishes tonight." We both nod, with Blaine grumbling about it a bit. He has a lot of dislikes. 

"Valencia how is school going?" Reece asks her. 

"Fine, sir." She tells him. The rest of dinner is spent in silence. Reece dismisses us all and me and Blaine do the dishes with him teasing me and me whispering, 'Shut ups'. 

I head back to my room and go to bed. Today was eventful.