Charlie knocked on the door for the third time. "Cherri? Do...do you wanna come out?"
No answer. Charlie sighed and hung her head. Cherri had been locked up in her room all day, which was unusual. Usually she was out and about, causing violence and chaos. Charlie didn't condone that type of behavior, but it was better than being distant and alone.
"Cherri, come on. You've been doing so well lately! I think you've been clean for a week! That deserves a reward. Why don't you come down for a drink at the bar?" Charlie implored. No answer. Now she was starting to get worried. Cherri never turned down alcohol before.
"Why don't you just open the door?" An obnoxious voice said from behind her.
Charlie jumped and turned around. Adam was leaning sleazily on the wall, his arms folded. He gestured to the locked door. "Don't you have the keys to all the doors in this shithole?" He asked.
"Wha-why are you here?" Usually, she would've felt a burst of rage, but right now she was simply exhausted. Lucifer had left the previous day to work on some official Hell business and because he didn't want to 'ruin the vibe'. And now, there was nothing keeping her from murdering the fallen angel in front of her.
The ex-angel examined his fingernails with little interest. "Because, princess, the radio fucker made it part of the contract that I can't leave the hotel unless he gives me permission." He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows. "So I'm eavesdropping. Get over it, we're in Hell. Are you gonna open the door?"
"I can't just violate her privacy like that!" Charlie exclaimed. Adam rolled his eyes. "Besides, maybe she just needs to be alone. She's still mourning Sir Pentious." Charlie continued, feeling anger spike inside her at the thought of her dead friend. "You know, the guy that you killed?"
Adam scoffed. "I don't think anyone gives a fuck about privacy in Hell. And no one mourns for that long. I should know." He said, ignoring Charlie's comment about Pentious.
"What do you mean, you should know?" Charlie raised her eyebrows. Adam looked away. "It's not important, just open the fucking door."
"I trusted you. I brought you in here after everything you've done. Don't you think you owe me a little bit of honesty?"
Adam groaned. "God, you are such a little dork." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "You know the story of Cain and Abel?"
Charlie blinked in surprise. Her mother hadn't taught her much about the beginning of humanity apart from how she had ran away from Adam. Nevertheless, she knew the story of the two brothers. Both had made an offering to God. God had respected Abel's sacrifice, but not Cain's. And Cain had killed Abel in a jealous rage. "Yeah..." Charlie said slowly. "They were your..."
"My kids, yeah." Adam said nonchalantly. "And one of them became the first murderer to walk the earth. Father of the year here." He jabbed a thumb at himself with a sarcastic smile, which faded as he continued the story. "Well, Eve pretty much fell apart after that. She wouldn't talk to anyone, even me. You know how shitty that feels? The woman who was literally made to love me didn't want me around." Adam paused, lost in thought. He looked almost sympathizable, standing there in the loose clothes Vaggie had dug up from the back of some closet and his skin pale, dull. He had even lost some weight, which made the clothes hang on weird.
Charlie opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. This was the most Adam had ever opened up to her before. She didn't want to ruin it.
"Anyway, I left her alone. I never really understood...women." His face changed in a way that let Charlie know he was thinking of her mother. She knew that Lilith was Adam's first wife, but it was still weird to think about.. "And I figured she just needed time, you know? So I didn't pay much attention, because we still had a lot of fucking kids that I had to take care of. And I, uh, didn't notice when she stopped eating and sleeping." Adam gulped. "Then one day, I go to look for her, because I was thinking 'Fuck it, it's been enough time, she needs help', and you know what I found?"
