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?"

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

no indication that she had heard him. The tears streaming out of her eyes mingled with the rain pouring down her

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

her face, getting in her

heavy, and the cold had seeped deep into

know where to turn. She needed to get away from

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

hands she found

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

realized how dangerous this weather

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

when he saw the frightened look

tidy yourself up," the

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

more worried. He reached out a hand to wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew back in

It's okay," the man tried to reassure

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

use his body to shelter her from the

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

another second asking her how

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 he could

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

but stylishly 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.

had dried on Cassandra's face, but her

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

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

could feel the warmth in the gentle way that he handled her.

not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing,

to calm her; she gradually

that…he had just... 'Oh no...'

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

last, she spoke softly, "I

look at the man behind

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

this kind of treatment