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?"

his voice. The rain streamed across

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

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

clung to her face, getting in her eyes and mouth and entwining

cold had

get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to run

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

she lifted her hands she found

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

how dangerous this weather would be. In desperation she ran to find some kind of shelter. This was when Rufus found

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

furious when he saw the frightened look on Cassandra's

take you to tidy yourself

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

grew more worried. He reached out a hand to wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock when he felt how cold she was.

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

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

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

eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then

couldn't waste another second asking her how she

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 her. He drove to his house, as fast

kept this place a secret from his family, spending nights here at

tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered

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

that her time in the rain would make her sick again. His heart hammered at the

rain like that? What, not even a typhoon could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded her, but with no real

in the gentle way that he handled

respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and lowered her into the hot

to calm her; she gradually stopped quivering

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

trickled some water over her shoulders to warm her body up.

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

spoke softly, "I can do it

whispered, she didn't dare turn her head back to look

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

were many women who would love this kind of treatment from him,