Author's Note: Hi guys. This is the second update I've gotten up in a single week. Not going to lie, I'm kind of proud of myself. Anyway, I figure I owe it to you guys and to myself to finish this story off. Anyway, let me know what you think. It really does help me become a better writer. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Les Miserables. I own only my obsession. All rights go to their rightful owners.
Chapter 8: ENJOLRAS
Weeks passes slowly, ebbing by painfully, and Eponine had barely said more than two words to me. While she kept the promise she'd made to be more involved with the others, she avoided me like a plague. Even when she was taking orders from the group, she skipped over me and sent another waitress my way. Often, she would stare at me with her big, watery brown eyes. Each and every time she looked at me, she looked close to tears.
Even now, she was sitting across the room on her break chatting with Cosette, undoubtably about the wedding plans. Her big brown eyes were focused on me, and I couldn't help but notice how sad she looked. I noticed the pain in her features as the blonde lark continued to speak. Cosette, obviously oblivious to each emotion that crossed that crossed Eponine's face, beamed. Her happiness was enough to consume everyone in her path, everyone except for the hurt woman in front of her.
She nodded along to the words spilling from the pretty blonde. My eyes stayed focused on her, even when hers strayed from mine down to the watch fastened around her wrist. I saw the brief relief flash through her eyes, as she cut Cosette off in the middle of a sentence and stood up to return to work.
"Um, Enjolras?" Grantaire's voice drew my eyes away from Eponine and back into the conversation that I was having before getting sidetracked. "Are you alright?" I watched his eyes trail across the room to where Eponine was delivering a tray to a table with a forced smile on her face. "I know a lot is going on in your life right now, but it's not like you to drift off in the middle of a conversation, especially one that involves politics." He looked back from across the room to me. His brow was furrowed, and I watched as a small smile spread across his lips. "You're drifting away because you care for Eponine. That's very Marius of you."
Taken aback, I glanced back at Eponine. "No," I said scoffing quietly. "I care about Eponine in the same way that you care about her." Trying more to convince myself more than I was trying to convince him. "I'm worried about her, everyone's been worried about her lately."
He nodded, "The way you checked out of our conversation shows more than just worry." He said slowly.
"I'm just a little distracted is all. I'm concerned for her wellbeing, Grantaire. Nothing more, nothing less." I glanced up from the young man sharing the table with me, across the cafe directly into Eponine's big brown eyes. I noticed the scarlet tint rise to her cheeks, as she hurried to break the eye contact. In the brief seconds that her eyes were connected with mine, all her focus shifted from the tray in her hand to me; I felt the shift of energy. "Any person with eyes could see that she's hurting, Grantaire. I'm simply worried about her wellbeing." I repeated again, shifting my gaze back to him.
A sudden commotion across the room drew my attention just in time to watch Eponine's chest hit the floor as she sprawled onto the floor. Glass shattered when her tray clattered to the floor, and each of her palms that were stretched out in front of her to break her fall against the hard floor were bleeding after the impact with the large shards and the floor.
I pushed away from the table, and the chair I was sitting on protested the movement with a screech as the legs scraped across the wooden floor. I moved quickly, weaving carefully through the other patrons, chairs, and tables until I was kneeling on the floor beside Eponine.
"Are you alright?" I whispered, leaning down close to her.
Her voice was a little shaky as she sat up, "I- I think so," she answered, glancing down at her bleeding hands. "Can you take me to Joly?" She asked. I noticed how her skin paled at the sight of the crimson liquid staining everything around her.
"Let's go." I grabbed her arm gently and helped her to her feet. Almost timidly, she wrapped herself around me and secured my arm around her waist as I helped her through the crowd of chairs and tables full of patrons.
As we approached the door, I noticed a large somebody blocking our way. His hands folded in front of his chest told me that we wouldn't be able to pass by as easily as I had hoped. His eyes focused intently on Eponine. "Where do you think you're going missy?" He asked, his voice harsh.
"Montparnasse," She said, her voice quiet. "What? You're coming to my work now? What's next, showing up at all hours of the night at my home?" My grip on her waist tightened. "You're blocking the exit." She said in the matter-of-fact tone that I realized I had missed so much, the same tone that was just so Eponine.
"You won't make any money leaving with Pretty Boy here," he said gruffly. "You know your daddy won't like you skipping out on your share. Consider yourself warned." He stepped aside, letting us by with a sickening smirk.
"I'm sorry," She whispered as I helped her down the street. "I'm sorry that you had to see that." The shame was clear in her voice.
"Eponine," I said firmly. "It's not your fault." She sucked in a breath and stayed silent until we reached Joly's flat. Before I could lift my hand to knock, the door cracked open.
"You know you guys are ridiculously loud," he said pulling the door open with a cheeky smile. "I could hear you all the way down on the street." I peered into the flat and, sure enough, the window on the far side of the open living space was cracked open. "Well don't just stand there, come on in." He said opening the door wider to make space for us to squeeze by. For the first time, his eyes fell on Eponine and her bloody hands. "What in the world did you do to yourself Eponine?" He asked, pulling her gently into the flat.
Concern radiated in his features as he hurried across the room without waiting for Eponine's answer. He disappeared under his bed for a moment before holding his medical into the air triumphantly. "Let's get you bandaged up. First I have to make sure there's not anything in the wounds." He said, opening the big white case and pulling out a roll of gauze.
"Eponine," He said, "You need to be more careful." I watched as he wrapped her hands in gauze one by one, cautious not to hurt her more. "You need to slow down. Especially now that you're pregnant." His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. "Oh, Sorry. I don't mean she's pregnant. I mean she could be pregnant one day, but she's not pregnant now." He turned to look at me as he continued to stumble over his words, and I watched as Eponine tried to stifle a small chuckle. "She's not pregnant. I don't know why I said that. I'm—"
"Joly," Eponine said smiling for the first time in what felt like a long time. "He knows."
"He knows? Like he knows everything?" He asked looking back and forth between the two of us. I nodded politely. Anger simmered through my veins; he had known about the baby, my baby, before I had.
"How long have you known?" I asked, more upset that he didn't even try to tell me about why Eponine had been so different lately. I felt more ashamed that I didn't try harder to make her feel comfortable enough to talk to me about her situation.
"A few weeks." He said, glancing back at Eponine.
"A few WEEKS?" I asked, letting the anger consume my voice.
"You have to understand," Eponine said, cutting into the conversation. "I wanted to tell you, I did. I just didn't know how to. I didn't know how you'd react. I didn't know how to react myself. I didn't want to interrupt your life, especially now when you've already got so much on your plate. The reason I told you I didn't want you involved is because I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything for this baby." She said placing a hand on her still flat stomach as she looked up at me with her big brown eyes. "I take that back. You can be involved as you want, but I don't expect anything from you."
I nodded along with her words, even though they were spinning around in my head and bouncing off the inside of my skull so that they were jumbled enough to make absolutely no sense. "I want you to move in with me." I blurted out. I could tell the words shocked her just as much as they'd shocked me. I hadn't even known that that thought was bouncing around with all of my other thoughts. "After what happened today at the café, I want you to move in with me, into my second bedroom. I don't want Montparnasse harassing you at home. You don't need that kind of stress. And I want to be able to take care of you and our baby. Please consider it."
Well….. I know. It sucks. I'm not totally happy with it so I'm probably going to end up changing it. But, it's what you get for now. I'm sorry for my long absence, but I intend on finishing this story, even if it kills me. Also, I'm sorry that Enj is a little (okay a lot) OOC, but I really feel like if he wasn't so serious all the dang time he'd have a sweet side. Anyway. I'm taking suggestions, and I'm also starting a brand new fiction as I FINALLY finished my novel (yay me!) Anyways, expect an update in a few days. Thank you! 3
