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 words from out

tears streaming out of her eyes mingled with the rain pouring down

spur of the moment. She was almost knocked flat by the storm, but her need to escape pushed

her eyes and mouth and entwining around her throat.

heavy, and the cold had seeped deep into her flesh and bones.

to get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to run

a way forward. And she couldn't

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

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

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

emerging like a hero from the rain, but why did the sight of him not fill her with

he saw the frightened

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

nothing Rufus said could provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked empty and unfocused, and she

wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock

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

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

close to him, he tried to use

her stir a little, and her eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then away.

couldn't waste another second asking her

her in and brushed some of the hair out of her face. He

had kept this place a secret from his family, spending nights here at times instead of

decorated, expensive but not luxurious. It was spacious, but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered why Rufus would have such a secret space to himself.

but her body still trembled all

recently come out of the hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would make her

a typhoon could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded her, but

warmth in the

could not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and lowered

she gradually stopped quivering and began to

just... 'Oh no...' she thought, 'not

his uninjured hand, Rufus trickled some water over

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

she spoke softly, "I can do

to look at the man

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

love this kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this