Valerie (An Enjolras Love Story)

Chapter Six

The next evening around five, Enjolras and I made our way to my parent's home to retrieve a few of my things. The entire walk I felt a knot in my stomach. I was praying that they would have already left, but I also feared that they decided not to go at all. When we reached the house, I stood at the gate looking up at it. Sure, it wasn't always the most pleasant place, but I called it home.

"Valerie, everything will be fine, I'm here. I won't let them do anything to you." Enjolras said turning me towards him. I smiled slightly up at him.

"Ok, just wait here, I will only be a moment." I said to him. I walked up to the door, and quietly opened it and slipping in and closing it behind me again. I looked around at my surroundings. I was rather dark in the hall and the sitting room. So, I took the opportunity and quickly ran up to my room and closing the door behind me, so that no one would see me here. The last thing I needed was to be caught. I quickly pulled out a suit case from my closet and started filling it with the simplest dresses I owned and a couple pairs of shoes. I grabbed my purse off my vanity, and began to rummage around in the back of my closet for the money I had stored away in case of an emergency. I had managed to save up almost a hundred francs from my father, he every so often would give me a couple francs for being good, or as a bribe to not fight with Mama. I put the money in my purse and tied it up, strapping it to my wrist. I closed the suitcase and picked it up off the bed. I opened my door, and stuck my head out to see if anyone was around. When I saw the hall was clear I made a run for the door. I was about halfway down the stairs when I heard a voice behind me.

"So, you've returned." I slowly turned to see my Mother standing at the stop of the stairs.

"Mama..." I said shocked.

"You disappeared the other day, now you've come back and all you have to say for yourself is Mama?" She said. "Where have you been?" she said crossing her arms.

"I've been staying at a friends." I said looking up at her.

"Who? It better not be that Pontmercy boy, or even worse that other boy I saw you with." She said raising her voice a little.

"So, what if it is. They are my friends." I said matching her tone.

"Valerie, I thought I raised you better! You have been nothing but an embarrassment to us. You ran off, leaving Andre stunned the other night. You have no idea the embarrassment we felt that night." She said glaring at me.

"Mama, I'm not doing this with you again." I said and started down the stairs again.

"Valerie, you stop right now. I am talking to you." She said chasing after me. I whipped around to face her.

"Why? So, you can drag me back. Back to a life I don't want? Well that's not happening. Good-bye mother." I said and opened the door. Mama grabbed onto my wrist with a lot of force. I winced at the pain. "Let me go." I said through gritted teeth.

"I will not let you run back to that boy. You are still promised to Andre. He will care for you. Give you a life better than this. You are not going anywhere, you will stay and marry Andre." She started screaming at me her grip on my wrist growing tighter.

"Mother let me go! I won't marry Andre and you can't make me, because I don't love him!" I said trying to pry my hand from her. "Oh, and that boy, he has a name. It's Enjolras. And he loves me, and I him!" I said as tears started to fall down my face.

"Love? You don't have to marry for love. You and Andre will learn to love each other. Do you really think I married your father because I loved him? No. I married him because he could provide for me and my future family. And Andre can do the same for you. That boy, Enjolras. Could do nothing for you. You will starve on the streets with him. Love, is not enough to live off of Valerie." She screamed.

"You know nothing Mama, Enjolras loves me and that is all that matters. I don't want to turn into a miserable old woman like you! And that is exactly what I would turn into if I married Andre." I said finally breaking free from her grasp, I took off running down the path to the gate.

"VALERIE! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" she yelled after me. I ran out the gate and bumped into Enjolras. I looked up at him and buried my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me holding me close. He picked up my suit case from my hand and we started back to the apartment. I sobbed the whole way home. How could she say things like that, and about someone she doesn't even know. Enjolras and I love each other, and that is all that matters. He can provide for me and we have something to work towards. Something we both agree on, a better future for France. For us.

Back at the apartment, I sat on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest as Enjolras took my suit case to the bedroom before coming to sit next to me. He wrapped his arm protectively around me. I had finally calmed down from our walk home.

"How much of that did you hear?" I said wiping a stray tear away from my face.

"Just about everything. But she is wrong, you know that?" He said.

"Yeah I know. I love you Enjolras, with all my heart. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else but you.

"I love you too Valerie." He said kissing me. "And now, you and I can be together completely, no one can stand in our way. You never have to see your Mother again." He said leaning forehead against mine. I smiled at him. Finally, I had someone who actually cared about me, and accepted me for who I was.