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?"

and fear out of his voice. The rain streamed across his

out

the moment. She was almost knocked flat by the storm, but her need to

getting in her

heavy, and the cold

didn't know where to turn. She needed to get away from

see a way forward. And she couldn't go back

she found them covered in dirt and

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

hadn't thought about 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.

like a hero from the rain, but

when he saw the frightened

me take you to tidy yourself up," the man

nothing Rufus said could provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked empty and unfocused, and she seemed to lack the strength to lift

out a hand to wipe the water from her face,

Don't worry. It's okay," the man tried to reassure her and himself.

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

use his body to shelter her from the rain.

eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then away.

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

under 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 her. He drove to his house, as fast as

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

spacious, but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered why Rufus would have such a secret

face, but her body

that her time in

to run out in the rain like that? What, not even a typhoon could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded

the warmth in the gentle way that he handled her.

he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and

calm her; she gradually stopped quivering

that…he had just... 'Oh no...' she thought,

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,

last, she spoke softly, "I can

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

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

were many women who would love this kind of