Edens Dream

Chpt.4

Adam pushed through the bar door, scanning the room for Lilith. The singing competition was in full swing, but his apology hung heavy in his throat. Where was she?

Bathsheba, Lilith's confidante, stood behind the counter. Relief washed over Adam, but it was short-lived. Bathsheba's expression was grim.

"Hey Beth," Adam started, "have you seen Lilith?"

Bathsheba sighed, setting down a glass with a clink. "Look, Adam. You two needed to talk, not avoid each other like the plague. Now Lilith's..." her voice trailed off, replaced by a pointed look.

Dread coiled in Adam's gut. "Where is she?"

"With Lucifer," Bathsheba said flatly. "They left for some charity event half an hour ago. Dawnsun Corporation, Babel Community Center."

Panic surged through Adam. He should have been there for Lilith. The guilt gnawed at him as he blurted, "I'll do anything to help her. Just tell me how to get there."

Bathsheba studied him, her gaze finally softening. "It's not a huge place. But knowing Lucifer, they'll be the center of attention."

Without another word, Adam sprinted out the door, leaving a bewildered Bathsheba in his wake.

Lilith plastered a smile on her face as she served drinks at the Babel Community Center. The forced cheer felt like shards of glass in her throat. This merger event for Lucifer's company was a sickening display of faux charity.

Suddenly, a familiar face cut through the crowd. Adam. Her heart hammered against her ribs. This wasn't good.

Before she could react, Adam was storming towards Lucifer, his face a mask of fury.

"Enough, Lucifer!" Adam's voice cut through the chatter. "Let her go."

Lucifer turned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Who are you interrupting, my friend? Just enjoying a lovely evening with my girlfriend." His voice dripped with mockery.

Lucifer loomed over Adam, a mountain of muscle dwarfing Adam's lean frame. The difference was a brutal reminder of Adam's limitations, a physical manifestation of the power imbalance.

"Heard you had some... interesting things to say about me," Lucifer purred, his voice dripping with condescension.

Adam ignored the taunt, his gaze fixed on Lilith. Her smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of fear that sent a jolt through him.

"Lilith," he pleaded, reaching out a hand. But she flinched away, her eyes pleading with him to stop.

"Leave it, Adam," she whispered, her voice tight. "Please."

Adam's temper flared, hot and raw. "Don't lie to yourself, Lilith! You know the truth. He doesn't love you!"

Lilith choked back a sob. "Yes, he does! And I love him!" The words were unconvincing, laced with a desperation that tore at Adam's heart.

He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the crumpled love song he'd written for Lilith. It felt pathetic now, a weapon rendered useless.

With a defeated sigh, he tossed the paper ball at Lucifer's feet. "Here," he spat. "Read what a real man feels."

Lucifer scoffed, not bothering to pick it up. "A touching display of... delusion. But I assure you, my darling Lilith," he turned to her, his voice sugary sweet, "our love is far more... substantial."

Lilith flinched again, a tear tracing a glistening path down her cheek. Adam's fists clenched, the urge to lash out warring with the cold reality of the situation.

Suddenly, Lucifer clapped his hands, a practiced smile plastered on his face. "Enough of this unpleasantness! Shall we get back to this delightful soiree? After all, the evening is far from over, and the good people of Save the World deserve a generous donation, wouldn't you agree?"

The crowd cheered, oblivious to the silent battle raging between the three figures. Lilith, racked with guilt and fear, was trapped in a gilded cage. Adam, filled with impotent fury, watched his chance to save her slip through his fingers.

As the cheers echoed, a single, dark thought wormed its way into Adam's mind. This wasn't over. He would find a way to free Lilith, even if it meant facing the devil himself.

Lucifer's booming voice filled the hall, momentarily distracting him from the crumpled ball of paper at his feet. Lilith, seizing the opportunity, darted down and snatched it up. Her trembling fingers unfolded the note, revealing Adam's love song, unchanged and brimming with affection. Tears welled up in her eyes, a flicker of hope igniting in their depths.

With a newfound determination, Lilith tore off her heels, the click-clack of escaping freedom echoing in the sudden silence that had fallen over Lucifer's performance. She sprinted out of the community center, not caring where she was going as long as it was away from him.

Meanwhile, Adam stormed out of the event, a bitter taste in his mouth. The bar was his only solace, a place where he knew he'd find a familiar face, even if it wasn't the one he craved.

He slumped onto a stool, drowning his sorrows in a self-pitying narrative for Bathsheba. "She chose him," he muttered, pushing away a glass of water she offered.

Just as despair threatened to consume him entirely, the bar door swung open with a bang. A figure slammed into him, a choked sob escaping their lips.

Adam looked up, heart leaping into his throat. "Lilith?"

Tears streamed down her face, mascara smudging her cheeks. But through the mess, a glimmer of hope shone. "I'm so sorry," she stammered, burying her face in his neck. "I love you too, Adam. I've always loved you."

Adam hesitantly wrapped his arms around Lilith, the weight of her apology heavy in the air. A minute ticked by, then another. Lilith, tears welling anew, peeked up at him.

"What is it?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Don't tell me you hate me."

A soft smile tugged at Adam's lips. He squeezed her tightly. "Lils, I could never hate you," he murmured. "Not even if you danced with the devil himself."