True Love Waits

Sheffield wrapped his arms around Evelyn's waist, and their bodies pressed against each other. "Evelina, have no fear. I'm right behind you."

Biting her lower lip nervously, Evelyn nodded.

"Miss, mister! Would you like for me to take a picture of you two together? Only twenty bucks for one," a man shouted to them, standing by the elephant and pointing to his camera.

"Sure. Take a few," Sheffield said with a grin.

"All right!" the cameraman said gladly.

"I don't like taking pictures," Evelyn muttered.

Never once in her whole life had her pictures been exposed to the press. Carlos was a protective father.

Evelyn thought that Sheffield would ask the cameraman to leave. But he didn't. "Rest your head in my chest. Then, nobody will see your face," he suggested.

She didn't reply, so he leaned forward and blocked her face. "You're here on a trip. You're supposed to relax and have fun. No matter what you were like in the past, nobody knows you here; you can be yoursel and live the way you want. Even though it is only for a few days, you can be happy."

'Live the way I want... I want freedom, ' Evelyn thought bitterly.

The cameraman didn't know what the two were talking about up there. But since Sheffield was blocking Evelyn's face, he couldn't take a satisfactory picture from any angle. After reshooting several times, he started yelling impatiently. "Dude! Don't block your girlfriend. If I can't get the picture right, what are you going to use as a memento of this moment?"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Evelyn explained hastily.

But with the elephant being so tall and her voice so low, only Sheffield could hear her.

He burst out laughing and leaned back to reveal her face so that the cameraman could take the picture. "Evelina, I don't have a girlfriend. If you want―"

"I don't want anything," she declared firmly.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he queried. If she did, that would be a problem.

answer his

took her silence for a

around her waist and moved back to keep a

his arms tightly. "Don't move away. The elephant is still

stealing another man's girlfriend." He

was going through her mind. She hadn't answered his question because her heart was hurting. It was

"Hmm?"

you know why I came here?" Too

She needed an outlet.

he asked. He could tell that

was diagnosed

on to her clothes,

to go there. Is that

leading the elephant to take that

until I feel better. But I don't know how to find the happiness that I am missing." She looked ahead, at the long

can help you," he

can't date. I'm 29, and you're " Before the next word slipped out of her lips, it dawned on her that he had never told her

age, so that she could be taken care of. Sheffield was three years younger than her. Evelyn assumed that if they were together, she would have to look after him. She

she might have considered going out with him.

to know what

Evelyn nodded.

do have one, I'll steal you away from him." It was love at first sight. When he had first met her, one look and he felt like he had

had a boyfriend, she had remained silent. At

to be a coward. He felt that she was trying to make him believe that she had a boyfriend so

know nothing about me, except my name. You're being impulsive," she argued. Even the name she had told

once again. "I know what I'm doing. We can try to learn more about each other. You know where I work. You can come and see me any time after

had thought that Sheffield would have backed down by