Ella's POV:
The phone buzzed against the nightstand, pulling me from a deep sleep. I blinked, squinting at the unfamiliar number lighting up the screen. I wondered who that might be. As I answered, rubbing sleep from my eyes, a voice I hadn't expected drifted through the phone.
"Ella? It's Joanne."
My heart skipped. Joanne? I sat up, clutching the sheets tighter around me, glancing around Arec's bedroom as if expecting him to explain how she'd gotten my number. He must have given it to her, I thought, frowning slightly. She was his friend, so it wasn't hard to imagine he'd pass along my number, figuring it was harmless.
"Hi, Joanne," I managed, my voice still thick with sleep.
