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

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

spur of the moment. She was almost knocked flat by the storm,

clung to her face, getting in her eyes and mouth and entwining around her throat.

the cold had seeped deep

turn. She needed to get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere

And she couldn't go

tripped and fell to her knees. When she lifted her hands she found them covered in dirt and mud,

blue they were turning, and her body was trembling so much that

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

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

saw the frightened

crying. Let me take you to tidy yourself up," the man

looked empty and unfocused, and she seemed to lack

water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock when he felt

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

and the lifelessness in her eyes

him, he tried to use his body to

her eyes looked momentarily up at

another second asking her how she was

arms 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 he could through the dangerous

a secret from his family, spending nights

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

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

a typhoon could stop you

warmth in the gentle way that he handled

could not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and lowered her into

gradually stopped quivering and began

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

some water over her shoulders

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

softly, "I can do

to look at the man behind her. Rufus just ignored her small request.

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

all there were many women who would love this kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this