Unexpected Arrangements

Sarah stepped out of the hospital room, her phone already pressed to her ear as she spoke in hushed tones. Clara watched her friend leave as she smiled at her, then she tried to adjust herself in the narrow hospital bed. The thin blanket had slipped down during her restless sleep, and she struggled to pull it back up with one arm while the other was still sore from the IV.

"Let me help you."

The deep voice made her freeze. She looked up to find Devon standing beside her bed, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. Without waiting for her response, he reached for the blanket.

"I can do it myself," Clara whispered, but her voice came out weaker than she intended.

Devon ignored her protest and gently tucked the blanket around her shoulders. As he leaned over her, Clara caught the scent of his cologne - something expensive and masculine that made her heart do strange things. They were so close she could feel his breath on her face, warm and steady. She could feel his breath on her lips, and her heart raced. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped.

Clara gulped and managed a quiet "Thank you."

The silence that followed felt heavy, like the calm before a storm. Devon straightened up but didn't step away. He opened his mouth to speak just as Clara did the same.

"I—" "I—"

They both stopped, and Clara couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. The sound seemed to surprise them both. Devon cleared his throat and took a small step back, the moment broken. Clara's smile faded as reality hit her again - they weren't friends. They barely knew each other. She had no right to be smiling at him like that.

"You first," Devon said, his voice back to its usual controlled tone.

Clara looked down at her hands placed on her belly. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything. When I was lying there on the floor, I was so scared." Her voice cracked slightly. "But not just for me. I was terrified something would happen to the baby."

Her hands caressed her stomach, protective and gentle. "The doctor said it's a miracle the baby survived the trauma of the hit. I don't know what I would have done if..."

She couldn't finish the sentence. When she looked up at Devon, she saw something flicker across his face - relief, maybe even fear.

"That's exactly why you need to come with me," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Look, I came to your shop so we could talk, and then all of this happened. When I saw you on the floor like that..."

Devon paused, running a hand through his dark hair. Devon Cage doesn't get scared easily, but the thought of loosing someone again scared him as he continued, “I was terrified. For you and for the baby."

Clara felt her heart skip at his admission. There was something raw in his voice that she'd never heard before.

"So about my proposal," Devon continued, his business mask sliding back into place. "You coming to live with me until you give birth—"

Clara's eyes widened, and Devon caught himself.

"I mean, until we catch whoever did this to you," he corrected quickly. His grandmother's words echoed in his mind: Handle Clara with care. One wrong move and you could lose your child too.

Clara sighed, her hand still resting on her belly. She knew she needed the protection that came with staying with him so she sighed as she said to him, "I guess you're right. I'll come with you."

Devon nodded and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and spoke briefly: "You can begin." Then he hung up.

"Who was that?" Clara asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"My PA, Elliot. He's at your place with Sarah, getting all your essentials packed."

"Wait, what?" Clara tried to sit up straighter. "How did you know I was going to agree? What if I had said no?"

Devon's lips curved into the smallest hint of a smirk. "Then I wouldn't have made the call. But part of me knew you'd agree."

Clara was about to respond when Devon's phone rang. He held up a finger to quiet her and answered the call. His conversation was brief and business-like. When he hung up, his expression had shifted back to the stern CEO she was used to seeing.

"You need to rest, for your sake and the baby's," he said, already moving toward the door. "I have to go now, but I'll be here to pick you up when you're discharged."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Clara staring at the empty doorway.

She sighed and settled back into her pillows. "What was I thinking?" she whispered to herself. "He only cares because of his child. Nothing else."

The thought stung more than she wanted to admit.

Devon's phone started ringing the moment he got into his car. He glanced at the screen and saw Yvonne's name flashing. He ignored it as his driver started the engine and they were on their way. The phone stopped ringing for exactly thirty seconds before starting again.

And again.

And again.

On the fourth call, Devon finally answered with a sharp "What?"

“Devon! Are you ignoring me?” Yvonne’s voice was sharp, a barely contained anger simmering beneath the surface.

“No, I’m not ignoring you,” he said, his voice flat. “I’m tired. What do you want?”

There was a pause, and when Yvonne spoke again, her voice was artificially sweet. "I just wanted to know how your day was, baby. You sound stressed."

"I'm fine."

She tried again. “Did anything... strange happen today?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You just sound... distracted.” Her voice dipped, laced with fake concern. “Is everything okay with that... florist?”

Devon’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking about Clara?”

Yvonne bit her tongue. That wasn’t what she meant to say. “I just meant—she’s carrying your child, right? I was wondering how she’s doing.”

“She’s fine.”

“Oh.” There was an awkward silence as he sighed and said to her, “I’m tired,” he said flatly. “I’m heading home.”

“Okay,” she said quickly. “Rest well my love and i.”

He hung up cutting her off without saying goodbye.

She looked at the phone in anger as she took a deep breathe. She loved him at least that was what she says hence the reason she tolerates some of his rudeness, Devon on the other hand doesn’t want to be with her, but when the Cage’s make a promise, they uphold it. An alliance built by their father’s was what led to this union and he didn’t want to have to be the one to break it, little did he know that Yvonne also doesn’t have any plans of breaking it.

Meanwhile, across town at Clara's apartment, Sarah was showing Elliot around the small space while they gathered Clara's things.

"She doesn't have much," Sarah said, pulling clothes from the closet. "But she's always been the type to find joy in simple things."

Elliot nodded, carefully folding a sweater. "That's a rare quality. Most people I know through work are never satisfied with what they have."

"You work for Devon, right?" Sarah asked, glancing at him. She'd noticed how gentle his hands were with Clara's belongings, how he made sure nothing got wrinkled or damaged.

"Hmm” Elliot responded without saying an actual word to her. She smiled as she murmured to herself, “I guess he is the shy type”, she tried again, “How long have you worked for him?” "Has been for three years now." He replied.

“Wow! Finally you say an actual word to me” he sighed as he turned to her and said, “We need to get all of this to the Cage mansion, well I do, not you”.

She nodded as she said, “Playing hard to get huh, I like it” she continued with her questions, "So…That must be intense," Sarah said with a small laugh. "He seems like the type who doesn't accept anything less than perfection."

"He's demanding, yes. But he's also fair. And loyal to the people who matter to him." Elliot paused in his folding. "He's more worried about Clara than he'd ever admit."

Sarah stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Really?"

"I've never seen him pace like he did today. Or bark orders at the hospital staff for not moving fast enough." Elliot's eyes met hers. "Your friend means something to him, even if he doesn't understand what yet."

Sarah felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words. "Clara deserves someone who'll worry about her. She's been through so much."

"We all deserve that," Elliot said softly, and something in his tone made Sarah's heart flutter.

They worked in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally brushing hands as they reached for the same item. Each time, both of them would apologize quickly, faces flushing slightly.

"Should I pack these books?" Elliot asked, gesturing to a small shelf filled with romance novels and pregnancy guides.

"Definitely the pregnancy books," Sarah said, then hesitated. "Maybe a few of the others too. Clara loves to read when she's stressed."

"What about you?" Elliot asked as he carefully placed the books in a box. "What do you do when you're stressed?"

Sarah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I bake. Usually cookies or brownies. Something sweet."

"I'd like to try your baking sometime," Elliot said, then immediately looked flustered. "I mean, if you ever wanted to... not that you have to..."

Sarah's smile was radiant. "I'd like that. Maybe I could make something for Clara while she's staying at your boss's place. You could come try it when you drop by to check on her."

"That sounds perfect," Elliot said, his own smile matching hers.

"Almost done," Sarah announced, zipping up the last suitcase. "Clara's going to be so grateful for this."

"It's nothing," Elliot said, though his eyes lingered on Sarah's face. "Besides, Mr. Cage would have my head if anything wasn't perfect for her."

"Still, you didn't have to be so careful with everything. Most people would have just thrown her stuff in bags."

Elliot shrugged. "She's important to him, which makes her important to me. And..." he hesitated, then continued, "anyone who's important to you is important to me too."

Sarah's breath caught at his words. They stood there for a moment, surrounded by boxes and suitcases, the air between them charged with possibility.

"I should probably get these to the car," Elliot said finally, though he made no move to leave.

"Probably," Sarah agreed, though she didn't step away either.

The sound of a neighbor's door slamming broke the spell, and they both jumped slightly. Elliot cleared his throat and reached for the nearest suitcase.

"Let me help," Sarah offered, grabbing the other handle of the same case.

Their fingers brushed again, and this time neither of them pulled away immediately.

"Sarah," Elliot said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Would it be terribly inappropriate if I asked for your number? You know, to keep you updated on how Clara's doing?"

Sarah's smile could have lit up the entire apartment. "I think Clara would insist on it, actually. She'd want her friend to have a direct line to information."

As they exchanged numbers, both of them were smiling like teenagers with their first crush. The packing was done, but neither seemed in any hurry to leave the little apartment where something new and sweet had just begun to bloom.

"Ready?" Elliot asked, though his tone suggested he was anything but.

"Ready," Sarah replied, though she was already looking forward to that first text message.

They loaded the car together, and as Elliot drove away, Sarah watched from the window until his taillights disappeared around the corner. For the first time in months, she found herself genuinely excited about what tomorrow might bring.

And somewhere in a hospital bed across town, Clara was about to wake up to discover that her life was about to change in ways she never could have imagined.