"Do not touch me!" She barked, moving away from him. Marius was standing nearby, gesturing towards the door.

Eponine, we must get going. Combeferre, stop this silliness. She belongs with me, and she will go with me. The light beyond the door seemed to grow brighter.

It spoke a great deal, that Eponine would still prefer Marius, who had used her as a shield, who had been cruel to her in the past, always unaware of how he hurt her, that she would turn to him, find comfort in him, over the man who truly did care about her. But he had hit her, on accident or not. And for once in her life, she had not deserved it.

Slowly, she moved to her feet, Marius helping her, his arm around her shoulder as he whispered sweet things to her.