A Graduation Gift

Chapter 62 The Storm

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?"

tried to keep the anger and fear out of his voice. The rain streamed across his face, and the wind ripped the words from out of his

indication that she had heard him. The tears streaming out of her eyes mingled with

She was almost knocked flat by the storm, but her need to escape pushed her

her face, getting in her eyes

the cold had seeped deep into her

needed to get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to run in such a

way forward. And she couldn't go back either.

her hands she found them covered in dirt and mud, and after standing up she

of how blue they were turning, and her body was

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 shelter.

emerging like a hero from the rain, but why

saw the frightened

take you to tidy yourself up," the

more tears. Her eyes looked empty and unfocused, and she seemed to

a hand to wipe the water from her face, and

It's okay," the man tried to reassure her and

her look so much like a corpse, and

tried to use his body to shelter her from the rain.

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

realized that he couldn't waste another second asking her

arms, lifting her gently and cradling her head against his 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

secret from his family, spending nights here at times instead of at the office.

expensive but not luxurious. It was spacious, but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered why Rufus would have such

had dried on Cassandra's face, but her body still trembled all

that she had just recently come out of the hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would make her sick again. His heart hammered at

typhoon could stop you from acting out?"

the gentle

her peel off her ruined clothing, and

water seemed to calm her; she gradually stopped quivering and began to come to her senses.

that…he had just... 'Oh no...' she

hand, Rufus trickled some water over her shoulders to

face, and as the mirrors steamed up in the room,

spoke softly, "I can

look at

resist. He

kind of treatment

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