Chapter 25

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Éponine turned around and saw Enjolras's broken face. Tears brimmed his eyes and she could see his cheeks getting red. When Éponine found her voice she held up her hands and took a step towards Enjolras saying, "No Enjolras, I swear, it's not like that. I-"

Enjolras didn't say anything, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the café.

Tears streamed down Éponine's face, she had just ruined Enjolras, how could she do this to him. 

Marius walked into the room a few seconds after Enjolras left, looking confused.  "What's up with Enj?" he asked.  He didn't even notice the vacant look on  Éponine's face, or the smug look on Cosette's. 

"Oh I don't know Marius, Éponine and I were just talking when Enjolras heard something I guess he didn't like.  Now it appears he's made at Éponine, poor thing", Cosette said innocently.   

Éponine felt fury build up inside her and she whirled around on Cosette, "That's bullshit and you know it!" Éponine screamed in her face. "How, why, why did you do this to me?" she asked, more tears streaming down her face. 

Cosette pulled Éponine into a hug, a show for Marius and whispered, "You don't deserve love, Éponine.  Not after what you've done in the past.  You don't deserve Enjolras, and you most definitely don't deserve Marius. Consider this payback for the inn".

Éponine gasped, what was Cosette doing. All of this was payback for something that happened over 10 years ago? Éponine pushed Cosette off her and slapped her across the face.

Cosette gasped and Éponine felt someone grab her wrists, it was Marius. "Éponine! What are you doing, are you insane? Cosette was just trying to help you!"

Éponine pulled out of Marius's grasp and he went over to hold Cosette. Éponine was ready to scream at them when she remembered a more important thing, Enjolras. Éponine forgot about Marius and Cosette and scurried out of the café. She needed to find Enjolras and tell him everything. She ran through the streets, the brisk air causing her eyes to sting. Finally she saw Enjolras walking quickly down, tears running down his face. She felt the guilt build up inside her as she yelled his name. He quickened his pace and turned the corner. She continued to run after him calling him. "Enjolras, please stop! Listen to me!" She yelled as she got closer.

Suddenly he just stopped and twirled around, "What the hell could you possibly want?" He yelled at her.

Éponine jumped, never hearing him raise his voice that much before. His gaze full of the fires of fury blazed into her eyes, he hated her at the moment. "Enjolras, please, I swear it's not like what Cosette said. She just wanted to get back at me for treating her poorly when we were children" she took a small step forward, only to be met by him flinching away from her.

"Éponine, I know you love Marius, hell, everyone knows! How could I be so stupid as to think you actually liked me" he let out a dry laugh and looked at Éponine, "I thought you actually loved me! Tell me Éponine, did you ever love me?" He asked the hurt starting to break through the flames in his crystal eyes.

"I did Enjolras, I did love you-"

He let out another dry laugh, "God Éponine! You're doing it now! You are such a good actress, so believable and deceiving! You really had me convinced when you told me the story of your past! Was any of that even true? With your father and Montparnasse? Or was that just a sob story to make your "love" more believable?"

Éponine shook her head, "Enjolras please, just listen-"

Enjolras held his hand up, "No Éponine you listen to me! After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? By using me and betraying me! I saved you from yourself more than once! I have loved you since the day on the bridge, and when I saw you again, I thought you might actually be able to love me too. I thought the brave hero always gets the girl, but I guess I believe too much in miracles. I guess this is a good thing", he said with his voice cracking, "now I can focus more on the revolution instead of being worried about you all the time. Now I guess I won't have to worry about dying anymore, I don't have anything worth living for anymore. Goodbye Éponine" he said wiping the tears from his face and walking away.

Éponine stood frozen in her position for a few minutes before stumbling after Enjolras. Tears blinded her vision as she tried to chase after him. "No please stop. Enjolras, please" she kept repeating.

As if her could feel her gaining on him, he started running too. He was much faster than Éponine and soon she tripped on the hem of her dress and crashed to the ground. She looked up and saw Enjolras disappearing from view.

Éponine looked at her hands which were now all covered in cuts and blood, but she didn't care. She had just lost the only thing she cared about. Éponine rose to her knees and placed her head on her hands sobbing. She had no one. Enjolras was gone; she would never see him again. He would find ways to keep her away from him, no matter what the cost. She had lost Marius when she hit Cosette, but now in this moment she can see how stupid and naive she was to love Marius. She lifted her face, now covered in blood and dirt, out of her hands and wrapped her arms around her body. She was a despicable human being, she sickened herself. How could she do that to Enjolras, a man who had given her so much. She was ready just to remove herself from the lives of everyone. She lifted her head and wiped her tears, smearing the blood across her face. She got up and ran to the bridge.

    The only thing she brought to the world was pain and suffering. She ruined everyone's lives. She stepped up on the rail and stared over into the river. A wave of déjà vu washed over her and she looked hopefully to the entrances of the bridges, but she knew he was not there. He would not save her this time. She turned her gaze back to the river and closed her eyes. It was time. She lifted her foot to take a step off, but she couldn't do it. She still felt like she owed Enjolras something from that night 2 years ago. She had stayed alive for him, and now she needed to do something for him more than ever. Sure she deserved to die, but she would stay alive, just for Enjolras.

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