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?"

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

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

was almost knocked flat by

her face, getting in her eyes and mouth

the cold had seeped deep

away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to run in such a storm.

forward. And she couldn't go back either.

her hands she found them covered in dirt and mud,

and her body was trembling so much that she could

she ran out of the carpark nor realized how dangerous this weather would be. In desperation she

like a hero from the rain, but why did the sight

saw the

to tidy yourself

nothing Rufus said could provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked

a hand to wipe the water from her

Don't worry. It's okay," the man tried to

corpse, and the lifelessness in her eyes sent a chill

her close to him, he tried to use

and her eyes looked

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

spending nights here at times instead of at the office.

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

on Cassandra's face, but her body still

she had just recently come out of the hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would make her sick again. His heart

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

could feel the warmth in the gentle way that

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

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

'Oh no...'

his uninjured hand, Rufus trickled some water over her shoulders

as the mirrors steamed up in

last, she spoke softly,

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

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

kind of