A Graduation Gift

A heavy silence permeated the elevator. Cassandra glanced at the redness spreading over Rufus' hand, and felt her heart squeeze in pain.

She tried to keep the tears in her eyes from running down her face.

"Rufus… You… You asshole!"

The words burst from her. She struggled to get her emotions under control, barely noticing that her fingernails were dug into her palms. Her voice trembled with emotion.

Her reaction made Rufus's face soften.

He looked away from her, wanting to conceal the swirl of emotions in his nebulous eyes.

Each droplet of tears that escaped from her eyes splashed straight onto his heart.

His heart became heavier and heavier.

As soon as the lift doors opened, Cassandra rushed out. After a second Rufus realized that she was heading not toward the carpark, but towards the exit.

While he stood there stunned, Cassandra disappeared into the heavy rain.

He dashed to the main gate, but Cassandra was nowhere to be seen.

The swirling sky above him, was dark as ink. A traffic light stood out in the storm, a beacon in the night.

He stood for a second, and then spun back toward the carpark. Climbed into his car, he sped out of the building right away.

The car seared through the thundering weather; the wipers screeching hopelessly against the downpour. He peered through the rain, barely able to see the road. He had no idea how he would find Cassandra.

But Rufus was determined. Slowly, he circled around the block, driving back and forth for some time before finally spotting a bedraggled woman at the corner of the street.

She was huddled under a ledge outside of a darkened shop. The ledge barely kept the rain from her, with water lashing at her on either side.

As he parked the car and leapt out of the door, he saw her sitting on haunches and staring blankly at the rain.

He ripped his coat off and covered her with it.

He crouched down and put his arms around her, almost flinching as he felt how cold and drenched she was.

"What were you thinking? Do you know how severe this typhoon is?"

the anger and fear out of his voice. The rain streamed across his face, and the wind ripped the

him. The tears streaming out of her

She was almost knocked flat by the

her eyes and mouth and entwining around her throat.

clothes were soaked and heavy, and the cold had seeped deep into her flesh

needed to get away from Rufus, but she had

forward. And she couldn't

the rain, she tripped and fell to her knees. When she lifted her hands she found them covered in dirt and mud, and after standing up she saw her

unaware of how blue they were turning, and her body was trembling so much that she could barely

about the cold when she ran out of the carpark nor realized how dangerous this weather would be. In desperation she ran to find some kind of

him again, now, emerging like a hero from the rain, but why did the sight of him

he saw the frightened look on

crying. Let me take you to tidy yourself up," the

provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked empty and unfocused, and she seemed

a hand to wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew

happened to you? I'm with you. Don't worry. It's okay," the man tried to reassure her and

like a corpse, and the lifelessness in her eyes sent a chill

close to him, he tried to use his body to shelter her

he felt her stir a little, and her eyes looked momentarily

he couldn't waste another second asking her how she

chest. He brought her carefully to the passenger seat of his car, buckled her in and brushed some of the hair out of her face. He wished he had a blanket to give her. He drove to his house, as

spending nights here at

house was simply but stylishly decorated, expensive but not luxurious. It was spacious, but tidy and

face, but her body

of the hospital, and feared that her

possessed you to run out in the rain like that? What, not even a typhoon could stop you from acting

in the gentle way that he

not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and lowered her into the hot bath.

to calm her; she gradually stopped quivering and began to

seemed that…he had just... 'Oh no...' she

some water over her

mirrors steamed up in

softly, "I can do it

head back to look at the man behind her. Rufus just ignored

didn't firmly resist. He would definitely take the chance to

all there were many women who would love this kind of