"She's hurt! Joly help her!" Enjolras barked orders to the boys at the barricade.
I looked away from him and back into the eyes of a concerned Marius. Yes he was concerned but I could see it in his eyes that he didn't love me. He loved Cosette. If I survived this, which I hopefully won't, I'll have to go on living with out him. I was snapped out of thought as I was lifted into Joly's arms. He carried me to the closest tavern and sat me on a table in the back.
"Don't fret mademoiselle I'll have you no pain. When I am done with you. You will be as good as new." He smiled at me reassuringly and that's the last thing I saw before I blacked out.
When I awoke I looked around and was suprised to to see my self in a nice bed in a room I didn't recognize. I looked around the room. It was just an ordinary room, the only thing that stood out was a single red rose sitting in a vase on the table beside the bed. I looked at the rose and was startled when I heard muffled voices coming from outside the door. I listened silently.
"I don't care if she is a friend of Marius' I don't want her here!" It was Enjolras' voice.
"She snuck into our barricade and almost got herself killed!" The next voice was a voice I recognized as well.
"You're so stubborn! The girl is harmless! Besides we owe Marius! He wouldn't be happy if he were still alive and knew that we weren't taking care of his closest friend outside of the Amis!" Joly shouted.
I sat in shock staring at the still closed door when Joly, Enjolras and Grantaire walked in.
"Great she's awake!" Enjolras said sarcastically "How much did you hear?" He asked me.
I looked away from him not bearing the sight of his bruised and scarred face.
"M-Marius is dead?" I stuttered. Joly nodded solemnly "You've been out for 4 days mademoiselle..." He said quietly. I looked between Joly, Enjolras, and Grantaire. Their faces broke my heart. It was true Marius had fallen in battle. He had died at the failed barricade. We had lost the revolution and I had lost the man I loved.
I cried for days straight. The whole while refusing to leave the room in Enjolras' house. He was in and out and only talked to me of he was bringing me food. Joly came by everyday and checked my bandages and made sure I was healing the way I should be.
The only ones who survive the barricades where Grantaire who was in a drunken stupor most of the time, Enjolras' who was made out of marble and even after loosing almost all his friend still showed no emotion to anyone let alone me who he seemed to hate, Joly who only survived because he was working on keeping me alive, and me... Who only survived thanks to Joly, and Enjolras' orders. I knew loosing all except a few of his friends to the barricade was devastating for Enjolras and even though he showed no emotion I could see it in his icy blue eyes and the stiffness of his shoulders. It was still a shock to me as well. Marius was dead and I wasn't there to save him.
Marius was dead. There was no doubt about it. I went to his funeral along with Joly who cried the entire time. I appeared to be the only one who wasn't crying. I looked around and saw another dry face Enjolras... He stared at the coffin but showed no emotion he looked up and his eyes met mine. I could see in his eyes he felt responsible for Marius' death, very much like I did. After the funeral Enjolras approached me.
"It's not your fault. " he said solemnly. I shook my head. It was my fault, I am the one who brought him to the barricade. I am the one who kept the letter from Cosette and didn't give it to him. It was my fault and I wouldn't accept anyone telling me other wise.
"Yes, Enjolras it is my fault." I walked away before he could say anything else. I heard him calling me
"Éponine! Wait!" I ignored him and kept walking. I walked until I came to a dead end in an alley. I realized then that rain was falling, I leaned against the wall and let the tears that I had been holding in fall out of my eyes. Not to long later Enjolras found me in that alley. He picked me up and carried me back to his flat. I protested, yelled at him to put me down but he refused and eventually I gave in and let him carry me.
He laid me on his bed and walked over to a cabinet, as he dug around the cabinet I looked around. He didn't have anything to say who he was this marble man was a complete mystery to me. I hadn't notice him close the cabinet, or that he had a small bottle in his hand and was pouring the liquid into a small cup.
"Drink this..." He said handing me the cup. I took the cup and drank the liquid. It tasted horrible. I flinched at the taste and glared at him.
"I didn't say it would taste good!" He said. His angelic voice kept me from getting mad. He pulled a chair up beside the bed and say down.
"I wanted to talk to you earlier but you ignored me." He said, I rolled my eyes at him and tried to ignore his piercing stare. He waited, he didn't say anything just stared at me waiting.
"It's my fault, I'm the one who led him to the barricade! I'm the one who didn't give him the letter from his loved one! I'm the one who almost got killed putting him in a vulnerable state!" I finally said, a tear slipped down my cheek "it's all my fault!"
He shook his head "No, Éponine its not! It's my fault all my friends are dead! I'm the one who led them to their death! My stupid republic! It's all my fault! It's my fault Marius is dead!" We stared at each other, both of us blaming ourselves for the fallen.
I reached my hand over to his clenched fist that was resting on the bed. I intertwined my fingers through his and looked at him. "Let's stop blaming ourselves" I choked out through the tears. He nodded and looked down at our connected hands.
"I guess destiny took its course..." He said trailing off. I nodded solemnly, destiny had taken its course what happened was meant to be. I loved Marius but he loved Cosette and when Marius died I was devistated. But yes destiny had taken its course Enjolras was right. I squeezed his hand before he pulled away.
"I should probably go" he said before standing up and walking out the door. I say back head resting against headboard who was this man of marble? Was he really that vulnerable? And why did he show me that side of him? I thought about it alot and eventually I fell asleep on his bed. I awoke later and looked around Enjolras was standing by the door watching me.
"You're awake." He said walking toward me. I nodded and looked away. I hadn't noticed right away but he didn't have a shirt on. I stood up and started toward the bedroom door. "I'll be going m'siuer" I looked back at him one last time before leaving the room.
A few weeks later Joly checked my wounds and said I was healed and free to go about as I pleased. I nodded and walked to Enjolras' room. I knocked lightly
"Enter" he said. I opened the door and he was sitting at his desk writing something. With out even looking up he said, "What do you want Éponine?"
I stuttered "J-Joly said I could leave now... If I wanted.." He continued to write as if he hadn't heard me. "I-if you want me to stay I will it must be awfully lonely now..." I said trailing off before I could make a fool of myself but he knew what I was about to say and didn't like it.
He slammed the pen down and glared at me "Just because all my friends are dead dosen't mean I'm all of a sudden lonely! Yes I shared a flat with Courfeyrac! Yes he was my best friend but he's gone and there's nothing I can do about it! Now leave my presence!" He stood up and walked toward me, putting a hand on my shoulder to push me out of the room he tripped and we both fell over. He landed on top of me. I looked up at him the golden curls framing his face like a beautiful golden crown, he was a god and there was no denying that. I reached my hand up and touched his cheek and pulling him closer, bringing is head down I gently touched my lips to his.