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?"

out of his voice. The rain streamed across his face, and the wind ripped the words from out of his

gave no indication that she had heard him. The tears streaming out of her eyes mingled with

the rain at the spur of the moment. She was almost knocked

to her face, getting in her eyes and

were soaked and heavy, and the cold

turn. She needed to get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to

a way forward. And she couldn't

she tripped and fell to her knees. When she lifted her hands she found them covered in

her lips together, unaware of how blue they were turning, and her body

the cold when she ran out of the carpark nor realized how dangerous this weather would be.

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

when he saw the frightened look

tidy

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

water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock when he felt how cold she

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

seen her look so much like a corpse, and the lifelessness in her

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

and her eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then

couldn't waste another second asking her how she

in and brushed some of the

his family, spending nights here at times instead of at the

It was spacious, but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered

but her body still trembled all

remembered that she had just recently come out of the hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would

What, not even a typhoon could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded her, but with no real anger behind his words.

the gentle way that he

saw that she still could not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and lowered her into

water seemed to calm her; she gradually stopped quivering and

seemed that…he had just... 'Oh no...'

hand, Rufus trickled some water over her shoulders to warm her body

face, and as the mirrors steamed up in the room, a blush rose to her cheeks.

softly, "I can do

didn't dare turn her head back to look at the

so rare that the little woman didn't firmly resist. He would definitely take the

there were many women who would love this kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this for Cassandra.