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?"

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

indication that she had heard him. The tears streaming out

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

hair clung to her face, getting in her

the cold had seeped deep into her

get away from Rufus,

she couldn't go back either. Cassandra kept

hands she found them covered in dirt and mud, and after standing up she saw her clothes just

blue they were turning, and

realized how dangerous this weather would be. In

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

he saw the frightened look

tidy yourself up," the man

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, and nearly drew back in shock when he

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

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

her close to him, he tried to use his body to shelter

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

that he couldn't waste another second asking her

his chest. He brought her carefully to the passenger seat of his car, buckled her in and brushed

kept this place a secret from his family, spending nights

stylishly decorated, expensive but not luxurious. It was spacious, but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered why Rufus would

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

hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would make her sick again. His heart

could stop you from acting out?" Rufus scolded her, but with

in the gentle way that he

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

seemed to calm her; she gradually stopped quivering and began to come

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

some water over her shoulders

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

she spoke softly,

whispered, she didn't dare turn her head back to look at the man behind

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

kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this for Cassandra.