I'll Cover You

Chapter 8

Over the next six weeks, Marius and Cosette had grown much closer to one another. They took this time to explore each other's worlds, and learn more about each other. They spent almost everyday together, and there were nights where Cosette would occupy Marius's guest room on nights that her mind was too clouded to be left alone. It was not long until they were the best of friends.

As for the feelings that they both had begun to feel that night? They only seemed to grow stronger for each other over time. Neither one of them had spoken to one another about these affections. Of course, from time to time, they would have their slight flirtations, and moments where they were close to confessing their feelings. However, both of them had their own limitations to confessing their feelings. Marius wanted to take things slow while Cosette got better.

And Cosette? She was rather fearful of her feelings for Marius. She was afraid of many things. She was afraid of him not feeling the same, of letting him down, and scared of him leaving her someday. She did not know what would happen to her if he were to be out her life forever. Especially with what she had been unable to tell Marius about.

Cosette was having a great deal of trouble dealing with her withdrawal from alcohol. Her subconscious would start to scream at her at all the times she would normally be drinking, and she would get an uncontrollable scratch whenever she was near alcohol. She did not want to trouble Marius more than she already had. He was doing so much for her, even when she had done such little for him. Still, the little devil on her back was growing louder and stronger every day she did not have the bittersweet toxin touching her lips. It was not long until the devil on her back had reached maximum capacity, and was finally ready to snap her fragile spine.

It was an early morning. The world was seemingly calm and peaceful. There was not a single cloud in the sky. However, that was because all of the tufts of condensation were swirling around in a particular person's head, and forming ominous storm clouds. Cosette tossed and turned within the covers of Marius's guest room as her "little friend" began to scream louder and louder into her ear. She tried her best to ignore it, but the weight just became so heavy it was suffocating. Cosette sat up quickly, threw on her clothes from the night before, and headed out the door. Normally, she would wait for Marius to wake up so that they could make plans, but Cosette knew that what she was about to do was something that Marius would want nothing to do with.

Cosette returned back to her house, and immediately ran to the liquor cabinet. Marius and her had locked it about 5 weeks ago for her to try and resist the temptation, but she had been able to find the key. Cosette unlocked the cabinet, and grabbed herself 3 bottles of wine. The old way she used to be able to survive her day. In order to lessen the chance of Marius finding her drunk, Cosette took the bottles, and ran off to the cliffs.

Once she had sat upon the edge of the cliff, Cosette uncorked the first bottle, and slowly chugged. Though each sip began to take the weight off of her shoulders, Cosette couldn't help but feel worse and worse with each chug. She saw herself as such a disappointment. Not only to Marius, not only to her her father, but also to herself. She thought she was actually going to be able to do it now, but she was obviously too pathetic to do it. She was too pathetic to do anything.

Cosette gulped through bottle 135 and 136 at a record pace, and could already feel the alcohol burning through her body. As she finished a long chug from the third bottle, she looked up into the sky. The slurred sensation that had not battered her lips in a long time had finally returned as she uttered sardonically, "You must be so proud of your little girl, huh "father"? If I should even call you that!"

Cosette finished the final bottle, and smashed it against the ground, leaning her hand against the shards of cool glass. At that moment, she did not care that the shards were piercing through her pale complexion. She screamed up into the sky, "Why did you have to leave me here father?! How could you keep me prisoner with no one but you for years, then somehow expect me to be alright once you passed?!"

Cosette's hysterics continued as she stood up, and threw another bottle down the cliff, hearing the crash ring throughout all of Paris. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of anger and cloudiness. This was not normal in her drunken state. Normally, she was quite the opposite of the way she was acting now. Now, the only thing that used to be able to console her was making things somehow worse.

Shuddering, Cosette looked out across the cliff. The thought that had appeared in her head months ago once again returned. Why not? What did she have to lose? Of course there was Marius, and that was perhaps the only thing holding her back in that moment. However, she then thought, "You would be doing him a favor Cosette. He could spend his time with people less pathetic than you."

Seeming to have made her choice, Cosette looked back up into the sky. She assumed the position she had months before with the wind hitting her tear-streaked face. She yelled out hysterically, "ARE YOU GOING TO BE HERE TO STOP ME NOW FATHER?!?! HOW ABOUT NOW?!" In that moment, she did not care anymore. Nothing seemed to matter, except for the one face that continues to cloud her mind. What would Marius think when he found out? How would he react? Would he even care?

It was at this time, a familiar sensation wrapped around Cosette. It was so similar to the sensation that stopped Cosette the first time. However, this feeling was different. This time, something was actually pulling her back from the cliff by her waist. Marius's voice filled Cosette's ear, "Cosette, what is going on?"