Industry (Part 1) - Completed

Isabella had tried to brush off his mom's offer, but after a few minutes of back and forth, PJ realized his mom wasn't going to back down.

"Hahaha!" He laughed loudly, patting Isabella on the arm. "I know you don't know my mom yet, but apparently, you are going to. First thing you'll learn: she gets what she wants. The world's just lucky she's not a psychopath."

Mrs. Summers swatted her son on the shoulder, but before she could respond, PJ scooped up the baby from his brother and headed toward the basement. Isabella followed him, her footsteps hesitant but steady.

Back in his room, PJ helped load all of the baby's things into the stroller. He could feel the weight of the moment—he was doing this for Alice. But as he looked at Isabella, lost in her own thoughts, he realized how much she needed protecting. They both did.

"So..." PJ watched Isabella closely, trying to gauge her mood. She looked deep in thought, lost in her own head. "Sorry about my mom. Payton used to have friends over all the time, and the only friend I bring around is Andy. I think she misses the chaos. Not that Andy doesn’t cause plenty of chaos..." His rambling trailed off, but Isabella hadn’t looked up or acknowledged him speaking. He finished strapping Alice into her seat, gently handing her a bottle of formula. It took him a couple tries to prop it up so she could drink unassisted.

Then he turned to Isabella. "Hey," he said softly, touching her arm gently, his tone full of concern. "You okay?"

Isabella's eyes snapped to the boy in front of her, and she pulled her arm away from his touch instinctively. "Yeah, I’m fine." She grabbed the stroller and started to exit the room.

"Can I walk you wherever you're going?" PJ asked, his voice tinged with a quiet protectiveness.

Her steps faltered, but she didn’t turn around. "No. Thank you for watching Alice." And she left without another word.

---

The two girls walked back to 3rd and Glen. There was another bus headed that way before the lines shut down for the night. But Isabella was in no hurry to get to her destination. Alice had fallen asleep as they walked, her small form peaceful in the cold night air.

When they arrived, Damon was sitting on the front steps with a cigarette in hand. He put it out as his cousins approached.

"Hey," he greeted them with slumped shoulders, his usual bravado absent.

"Hey," Isabella replied, her voice quiet.

"I'm staying tonight," Damon said, not giving Isabella a chance to argue.

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a hard look, one that made it clear she had no say in the matter. "Thanks," she whispered, her voice softer than she intended.

He nodded curtly and then followed her inside, the protective tension between them palpable.

Her old room was now filled with random things, the space barely recognizable. It had only been a few months, but somehow clothes, takeout containers, and a rusted bike had found their way into the room. Isabella moved the clutter aside, clearing a small spot on the mattress to lay Alice down. Then, she packed up anything that looked like it had rotting food and took it out into the hallway, her heart heavy with the sight of her old life falling apart.

Damon had made himself comfortable on the couch in the living room and nodded to her as she passed, a silent acknowledgment of their shared weight. Isabella reentered the bedroom to sleep with her sister, wishing, for just a moment, that she could protect Alice from the same fear she had known growing up here.