ISABELLA'S POV
The cold air hit me the second I stepped out of Vantage & Cole. My bag was slung over one shoulder and I was halfway to sighing in relief when my phone rang.
Aria.
I answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"
Her voice, however, wasn't casual. It was frantic, fast and devoid of any usual greeting. It was just:
"Bella, where are you?! Is anyone swamping you? I'm on my way to get you right now. Just stay put, okay?"
And then—click. She hung up.
She hung up before I could even process the words, let alone ask a single question.
I lowered my phone, staring at the blinking screen in utter confusion.
"...Okay, that was weird."
I stared at the screen like it would suddenly explain itself.
Aria always had a flair for drama, but this? This sounded… urgent. Panicked. Like someone just told her that her favorite music group was disbanding and she needed immediate emotional support —or worse, like she thought I was in actual danger.
