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

tears streaming out of her

now, she leapt into the rain at the spur of the moment. She was almost knocked flat by the storm, but her need to

getting in her

were soaked and heavy, and the cold

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

forward. And she couldn't go back either. Cassandra kept

to her knees. When she lifted her hands she found them covered in dirt and mud, and after standing up she saw her clothes just as filthy.

pressed her lips together, unaware of how blue they were turning, and her body was trembling so much

how dangerous this weather would be.

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

the frightened look on Cassandra's

take you to tidy yourself up," the

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

hand to wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock when he felt how

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

had never seen her look so much like a corpse, and the lifelessness in her eyes sent a

him, he tried to use his body to shelter her from the

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

that he couldn't waste another second asking her how she was feeling.

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

spending

was spacious, but tidy

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

remembered that she had just recently come out of the hospital, and feared that her

a typhoon could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded her, but with no real anger behind his words.

the gentle way that he handled her.

respectfully helped her peel

her; she gradually stopped quivering

just... 'Oh no...'

uninjured hand, Rufus trickled some water over her shoulders to

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

softly, "I can do it

she didn't dare turn her head back to look at the man behind her. Rufus just

resist. He would definitely take the chance to serve the beauty.

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