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?"

tried to keep the anger and fear out of his voice. The rain streamed across his

him. The tears streaming out of her eyes mingled

the spur of the moment. She was

her eyes and mouth and entwining around her throat.

heavy, and the cold had seeped

didn't know where to turn. She needed to get away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to run in

she couldn't go back either.

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

pressed her lips together, unaware of how blue they were turning, and her body was trembling so much that she could barely stand.

she ran out of the carpark nor realized how dangerous this weather would be. In desperation she ran to find some kind of shelter. This was when

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

he saw the frightened look on

you to tidy yourself up," the man

Rufus said could provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked empty

worried. He reached out a hand to wipe the water from her face, and

It's okay,"

and the lifelessness in

close to him, he tried to use his body to shelter her from the rain.

he felt her stir a little, and her eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then away.

second asking her how she was

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

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

tidy

face, but her body still

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

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

in the gentle way that he

he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing,

of the water seemed to calm her; she gradually

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

trickled some water over

her face, and as the mirrors steamed

softly, "I can do

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

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

many women who would love this kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this for Cassandra.