When Tomorrow Comes

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Enjolras looked at Monsieur Thénardier in a complete state of confusion.

"You're the one who kicked her out," he pointed out.

"No, not Eponine," Thénardier snarled. "I don't care about her anymore. I'm looking for Azelma."

"So you care about Azelma?"

"No, not really... I just need her."

And then it dawned on him. Enjolras' heart broke.

"It's because Eponine isn't there," he realized. "You need another punching bag..."

"I... Well... I just need her."

"Go away, Thénardier!" Marius told him.

"Montparnasse, what are you doing here?" Thénardier hissed.

"Trying to find your daughter too," he answered.

"Oh then good. Pip pip cheerio! Bring her home, kind sir!"

Thénardier left, swaying from left to right, laughing for no particular reason. That man definitely had too much to drink.

Enjolras crumpled his fists. He wanted to go after him so bad and make him regret what he did to Eponine and what he wanted to do to Azelma, but Marius stopped him.

"Don't let him get to your head," his friend told him. "Karma will catch him."

"My middle name is Karma," Enjolras muttered.

"Let's just find Eponine, quick," Montparnasse said.

"We should split up," Enjolras added.

Marius shot him a glare.

"No, I will not go after Thénardier. I promise. I want to find Eponine too."

But Marius still hesitated.

"You know it's the best thing to do..."

"Fine," Marius mumbled.

"I'll go towards Thénardier's place," Montparnasse announced. "Marius, check out rue Plumet. You, Enjolras, continue where we were going."

"Ok," Enjolras replied. "Whatever happens, we meet at Café Musain at dawn."

"Got it," Marius said.

"See you, gentlemen," Montparnasse told them, tipping his hat for a greeting.

And then they were off.

***

Eponine was woken up by the sounds of footsteps overhead.

"Eponine!" a voice called out.

She knew it wasn't Montparnasse, or her father for that matter. But it wasn't Marius either.

"Eponine!" the voice shouted again.

"You'll wake up all of Paris!" another voice hissed. "Shut up, boy."

"Sorry, Monsieur," he answered.

Eponine carefully got up and poke her head out from behind the stone structure. And that's when she saw the person she was secretly hoping would appear. Enjolras.

"I'll never find her," he mumbled to himself. "She's gone. Disappeared. And it's all my fault."

Wait. How was this all his fault, she wondered?

"I should've done something," he continued. "I'm just a stupid love struck fool..."

Eponine froze. Words could not describe how she was feeling at this very moment. Enjolras had said the word 'love'! Oh how she couldn't believe it. Nobody had ever spoken of love with her since she was a little girl.

"I'm so lost," Enjolras said with a sigh.

"I'm found," Eponine whispered with a grin.

"Oh, Mademoiselle, will I ever find you?"

"You can always find me," she told him, coming out from under the bridge. "You just need to know where to look."

Enjolras' face brightened up at her very sight. She was soaking wet, with droplets still falling down from her brown hair. Her left eye was still a bit swollen, but it was the red marks all over her arms that made his heart break.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me, Monsieur," she answered. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I was looking for a certain girl."

"And have you found her?" Eponine asked with a shy smile.

He approached her and grabbed her hands.

"I do believe so, Mademoiselle."

"I don't understand you," Eponine let out.

"How so?"

"Why are you worried for a girl like me?"

Enjolras smiled.

"Because a girl like you deserves much, much more."

And with a leap of faith, he went to kiss her. But Eponine gently pulled away.

"Sorry, Monsieur," she told him.

"I, umm... I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Just not now, okay?"

Eponine smiled. A real smile. A smile that not many people had seen from her.

"I understand, Mademoiselle."

"So," she started. "Now that you've found me... What happens now?"

"Now, we wait," Enjolras simply answered.

"Wait for what?"

"We wait for dawn," he said with a smile.