Drop the jacket! Drop the bloody jacket! Matilda tells herself to do this, yet finds herself still clutching onto it. Why? She comes to the conclusion that she needs a part of Enjolras to still believe in. She thunders up the steps to his apartment, punching the door open, realising she forgot to lock it before she left. She locks herself in Enjolras's apartment. She finally releases her tight grip on his jacket, throwing it down on the floor. She sinks to her knees, crying. Her tear filled eyes staring at the rich, red material sprawled out in front of her. How could Enjolras do this to her? Had he really gone too far to protect her? He's doing this because he loves me. She whispers in her head. But she still couldn't find herself to forgive him.

A loud bang snaps Matilda out of her reverie. "Matilda, open the door!" Enjolras demands loudly. She bites her rough lips, choking back an awful sobbing sound she felt coming. "Matilda, please. You have to understand the cause of why I'd do this."

Matilda forces herself up onto her feet, her legs shaking beneath her. She reaches for the handle, her fingers trembling. She can hear Enjolras's slow and steady breaths from the other side of the door, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. She opens the door, letting Enjolras back into his own apartment, Matilda avoiding eye contact with him. She takes a step forward towards the door, Enjolras slamming the door shut in her face.

"Matilda, please." His voice pleading, it made something inside her turn and feel sympathy for him. But he had hurt her."You invited me to stay at your apartment last night, you sang me to sleep and I came to a conclusion that I could trust you and love you." Matilda's voice was on the verge of crying. "I've never given my full trust to someone before, just in case I would get hurt if they broke it. And you did exactly what I thought one person would."

"Matilda, you act like I am secretly kissing another girl behind your back, I'm protecting you. That's all!"

"Enjolras, you said for me to prove that I can be a use in this rebellion and I did just that!" Now her voice cracked as she raised her voice, tears being held back by a tight clench of her fist. "I understand you are doing this because you care, but I care about you too!"

Enjolras looks at her like she had just slapped him across the cheek. "I don't want to see you get hurt, I don't want to see you die before I do."

"Is this you or Combeferre talking?" she snaps at him. Enjolras gets lost for words. "I know you would never do this to me Enjolras, so I need to know, is this Combeferre's words or yours?"

Enjolras stands frozen, his heart pounding hard in his chest. If he tells her it's his own choice, she would be heart broken, but if he agrees with Combeferre, that's the trust broken.

He remembers the first day they had met, her knees tucked up to her chest, waiting ambitiously for him. How he had teased her and told her to wash herself, her courage and persistence to join the Les Amis. The boys instantly falling in love with her, how he had fallen in love with her. He swallows hard, an uneasy feeling going down his throat. "Mine, it's my choice."

Matilda bites her lip, a single tear rolling down her soft marble cheeks. Her light eyes filled with tears. "Okay..."

Her stubby nails had managed a way to dig into her skin, leaving small cuts in her palms. Matilda reaches for the door, Enjolras this time stepping aside for her to go through, knowing he wouldn't win against her. His heart falls empty as Matilda exits through the door, leaving a sound of choking sobs ringing through his ears.

Matilda's POV

Listen to your mother and don't trust boys with your heart. Now I will listen to her. Now. I should've known before I gave my heart away to Enjolras like an idiot. The streets of Paris now lit with candles and lanterns, the sun going down slowly. The boys of the Les Amis running towards the Musain. I hide my face, hoping no one would see me, and luckily no one has, yet. The street seemed like a part of me now, like it had been imprinted in my mind; knowing them inside out, every alley, every route. Enjolras had been studying this for months, years even. No stop. Don't think about him, don't! Yet I seem to know the streets, but i cant remember my own way home. I remember it was a small inn on the corner of the street, a new furbished one; similar to the old inn the Thenaidre's owned back in Montreuil-sur-mer, but more clean and furnished.

A young man runs past me, bumping me in the shoulder and tripping me over by the hem of my dress. I stop my head from hitting the ground by placing my hands in front of me, landing badly on the wrists.

"Mademoiselle, I am very sorry!" I know that voice. That same husky, soft voice. Marius. I look up, staring at his murky eyes. He instantly recognises me and his face turns. "Matilda? What are you doing here? We have a meeting now." He helps me up back to my feet, I pat of the dust from my khaki colored skirt, pushing my hair back with my fingers.

I hesitate for a moment. "I don't think I will be going tonight." I hold back a tear at the thought of Enjolras disbanding me from the rebellion.

Marius looks at me in shock. "The Rally is tomorrow, Enjolras told me he needed you today." I cringe at his name, I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to think of him anymore. "Whats the matter with you, Matilda?"

I refuse to tell him. Marius and Enjolras aren't the best of friends, but they are still friends. "I just want to go back home."

"And where is that?" Dammit. I've been so far away from the in lately, I never really think of it as home anymore. I don't even know what home is now.

"The inn, of course. Where Eponine is," I lied. I look behind me, I could see the lights of the Musain cafe, the sound of boys drinking and cheering coming from afar. "Do you think you could walk me home?"

Marius inhales through his teeth, looking behind me to see the cafe. "I don't think Enjolras would be too happy with me, he said he wanted me to lead the Rally with him tomorrow."

Of course, France first, women later. "Oh, it should be fine then. I can find my way back myself."

The guilt in Marius's eyes seeps through, he bites his lip and sighs. "No no, the streets are to dangerous at this time for you, i'll walk you home then." He takes a step forward beside me, but I don't budge.

"You don't think I am capable of protecting myself?" I ask in offence.

Marius chuckles. "Oh no, I think you are very capable. I just wouldn't want to hear you are in the galleys of Toulan because you killed a man who tried to..." A pause. "attack, you."

I start to laugh. We start to walk together, I curl my fingers in his hands, Marius smiles and we walk together

Men glare at me as I walk past them, Marius giving them a look of death back. I could see the lights of the inn shining in the distance, Eponine clearing away the litter and bottles of alcohol outside. I release Marius's hand and I run to her. I shout out to Eponine, she looks at me, her eyes squinting, then she jumps and starts to run too, lifting the hem of her skirt so she doesn't fall. I pull her into an embrace as soon as she got close, crying into her shoulders.

"Dear God, Matilda. Where have you been all this time? You didn't come home last night, I started to worry!" she says, fretting.

"'Ponine I'm fine, I'm okay. A little hurt, but I'll be fine."

She sees Marius behind me and she starts to blush. He's naive and oblivious, how could he not possibly see how much she loves him? Marius smiles back at her, his face slightly confused on what to do. "I should start going back to the cafe, they need me there."

I walk over and hug him tightly, his hard muscles embracing me back. "Thank you," I whisper. He gives me a grin and hurries back the other way.

Eponine stares at me in disbelief. "How do you do that?"

I shrug at her. "Do what?"

"Just go up to a boy and give yourself away so easily, you embrace him so easily with no second thoughts. No regrets."

I think about what she says. Oh Eponine, I have my regrets, I have many. But she is right that I don't think before I do something sometimes and in the result, I get hurt. Enjolras. That's all I could think. I grin at her, hiding my thoughts I kept inside. "It's not a trait I'm proud of."

Musain cafe

They boys make a lot of fuss today. Running here and there, getting papers ready, posters, flyers, speeches and their act together. Enjolras among them, sitting at the corner of the room, drowning out his grief with plans and speeches. Where is Maruis? He asks himself. He could hear his name being shouted over and over again in the commotion; Courfeyrac asking for stamps, Bossuet and Joly asking him where Marius was, Combeferre asking if he needed help. Thundering footsteps approach from the stairs, a glimpse of his brown hair and Enjolras springs up. Taking long strides towards the stairs, towards Marius. He appears at the top of the stairs panting, his face red and covered with sweat. He leans on the rails of the stairs, trying to catch his breath.

"Marius, you're late," Enjolras says. "What took you so long? And why are you tired, you don't live too far." By now all the students had faced Marius and Enjolras, some snickering and teasing Marius for being late, again.

Marius swallows. "I'm sorry, Enj. I had to take Matilda home, she wanted company. She said she wasn't coming tonight."

Enjolras felt something hit his chest at the sound of her name. A sharp, stabbing pain that made him lose his breath. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply, he would be okay. "Start preparing yourself then, we don't have much more time until tomorrow," he orders Marius. The boys still all stand there, looking at him in shock. None of them moving or getting back to work. "All of you, get back to work," he commands. "Now!" They all scurry back at the tone of his raised voice. He felt like crying, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not in front of everyone here.

A tight grip catches a hold of his arm. Enjolras looks up to see Combeferre staring at him. "Enjolras, are you alright?" he whispers.

How could he mock me now? Enjolras thinks. "Yes, of course Combeferre. I had to disband my love away from the one thing she believed in. Yes, I am just fine."

"Enjolras, I-"

"Stop, Combeferre. What's done is done, nothing more I can do," he says, holding back tears. Enjolras yanks his arm out of his grip, going off to find Marius.

He sits at the corner on his own, taking out a notebook with paragraphs of words scribbled all over the pages. "These are a few thoughts for tomorrow, I thought we could mention Lamarque to the people, he has been speaking for us. I also thought that maybe we could do it outside of his house, to show the respect for his actions..." he trails off at the sight of Enjolras not paying attention to him. Enjolras stares at his feet, his thoughts focused on Matilda. "Enjolras, what is the matter?"

"Women, women is what the matter is. They're a distraction, Marius."

"Is this about Matilda? She seemed upset anytime I mentioned you when I walked her home."

I believe she would've been. Enjolras replies in his head. "It's is not your buisness to interfere, Marius. Let's concentrate on the Rally, tomorrow is an important day."

Marius looks at him with worry, he won't concentrate. Being angry at the world because of all this, it can't possibly make him focus on the Rally. Yet Marius says nothing, he obeys the fearless leader and continues to tell his ideas, hoping to drown out Enjolras's sorrow.

Not a good ending, I know. And yes, I have decided to move the Thenaidre's inn to Paris, no hate there please!