Chapter Ten
Istand in the doorframe, watching as Adam and Lilith share their laughter on the couch. Light from the fire gives the scene such a homey feel. To see my girl smile has been the greatest Christmas gift she could’ve given me. Although, I’m not even sure if she's aware as to what day it is. No tv, no service, hell we don't even have a radio here at the cabin. She’s been completely isolated for over a month now.
The thought of her returning to the normal world terrifies me. Ever since the night on the couch she’s been avoiding me like I'm carrying some sort of disease. The open world would do nothing but give her more reasons to steer clear of me. I’m delusional to think she would choose me, especially after everything. But every moment I spend in her presence my obsession for her deepens. Lilith Jones is the apple to my Adam. The snake constantly whispering to me, “Take her.” If she doesn’t choose me, how am I supposed to let her go?
“Ahh there you are!” Adam calls over to me from the couch. “Come join us, Kameron.” His wrinkled smile momentarily sets my thoughts at ease as I make my way over to the two. I take notice on how Lilith’s shoulders visibly tighten as I get closer in proximity. But the fight to have her isn’t over yet.
“I was actually about to step outside and see if I could find us a tree.” Lilith’s interest peaks at that statement, glaring up at me with confusion. My hand rubs against the back of my neck, worrying that I’m about to completely ruin her rather than make her happy. “With it being Christmas, I figured I could offer at least a shred of festivity.”
Her beautiful gray eyes turn glossy as she opens her mouth to respond. Nothing comes out the first two times she goes to speak, but her voice finally finds her by the third attempt. “I-i-it's Christmas…?” Her bottom lip slightly quivers before she hides it behind her teeth. I press my lips together, giving her a slight nod. The guilt of keeping her trapped here wracks throughme as Adam’s hand reaches for hers, grasping it in a comforting squeeze. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. “Can I come with you?”
Her question shocks me into silence. I stare down at her as she tilts her head like a lost puppy, waiting for my answer. The flickers of the flames dance around in her eyes, giving me a front row seat to their recital. “You’ll need to put on something warmer, but yes.”
Lilith gives me a small nod before scurrying off the couch and over to her room. I look towards Adam, finding him already watching me. He pulls his lips up, granting me with a small grin, a sign I’m doing the right thing. His presence around us has always been a focal point for Lilith and I both. Something to ground us when the feeling of each other becomes too much to bear. He has always been here, letting us figure this out on our own, but being the safety mat to fall onto when mistakes are made. I couldn’t be more grateful for him, and everything he has done.
“Tonight, we celebrate,” he starts off, his smile slowly dropping from his face. “But tomorrow, it’s time to get to work. It’s only a matter of time before they start searching the mountains. That girl meant a great deal to Apollyon and Elijah. They’re not going to just give up on finding her. And we need to take them down before it’s too late.”
Adam’s eyes grow unfocused as he looks up at me, fear clouding over them. In moments like this, I receive the painful reminder that taking down The Garden is no longer just about Lilith and I. It’s for all those who’ve had to suffer under the evil hand of those wielding God like a weapon. It’s for every woman who went through the experiments back in South Carolina. All the men who went to seek help for addiction just to come face to face with the devil himself. For all the children who didn’t know better, who thought God would keep them safe.
The cold wind whips through Lilith’s long black hair, swirling it around her porcelain face. Her cheeks are stained a bright red, brought on from the cold. She looks as beautiful as ever.
She follows in my footsteps as we walk through the pine trees, searching for one small enough to cut down and bring back with us. Snow shakes off from the branches, surrounding us with a light dusting of snowflakes. Minus the sound of our steps, the woods are quiet today. At this moment, it is just her and I.
“Did you have any special family traditions growing up?” I ask, trying to ease into the moment.
“Mmhmm.” She nods, glancing around at the frostbitten trees. “It was my mother’s favorite holiday. She made sure we had the whole nine yards every winter.” I stop in my tracks, waiting for her to be by my side before she continues on. “Hot chocolate, Christmas movies, special pajamas. If you can think of it, she offered it.” A small laugh leaves her and my chest tightens.There will never be a more beautiful sound.
“Which was your favorite?”
Another giggle leaves her as she responds, “Elf on the Shelf! John and I used to completely lose ourselves over that little guy. I remember one Christmas when my mother had switched all of our clothes from our dressers, leaving us a little note saying the Elf thought we’d look better this way. The whole day was full of laughter as we tried to put them all back correctly.” Her eyebrows scrunch together before she turns to look at me. “But you took that from me. Now it’s just a memory of someone I mourn.”
Her words hit me like a train, shifting the entire atmosphere around us into one I desperately wish I could escape. I feel my jaw tighten and my heart stutter as I look down at her.I took that from her.
“Why did you kill him?” Her question comes out soft. Her heartbreak intertwined with every word.
“So I could get away from Apollyon.” The truth in my answer stuns me. I threw someone else into their own nightmare just so I could attempt to escape mine. The cruelty behind my actions sickens me, especially as the first tear drops from her chin. It hits the snow below us, melting a small circle into the white landscape. “The older I got, the more of a threat I became to him. He still had enough evidence to throw me in prison for the rest of my life, but I had enough anger that paying me to keep the beast at bay was worth it to him. Your brother had a lot of money on his head.” My hand rubs against my hat, a small distraction from the emotions building within me. “It would’ve been enough for me to disappear.”
I feel her cold fingers grasp onto my wrist, tugging at me to turn towards her. The sight of her, with all her walls down, her grief completely raw, shatters me. I drop to my knees, unable to handle the weight of my actions. “I’m so fucking sorry, Lilith,” I plead through the cries beginning to form. “If I had known-”
I’m cut off as she bends her body down to mine, the pad of her thumb brushing against the stream of salty tears tracing down my cheek. “For this, I forgive you.”
I fall into her touch, clinging to her. Her hands trace around my neck, pulling me in until our foreheads are pressed together. The heat of our breath mixes, leaving puffs of steam rising above us. “I never meant to hurt you. You’re everything to me, Lilith. You mean so much that putting it into words would only dim it down. There is nothing in the English language to begin to explain how sorry I am.”
She pulls me in harder, not stopping until our lips gently brush against one another. “Then show me,” she whispers. Not wasting a single moment, I press my lips against hers. My tongue pleads against her until she grants me access. A soft moan vibratesthrough her, sending my euphoria to new heights. Her presence alone is beyond any form of addiction, but her pleasure? It’s a type of heaven even God would be jealous of.
Slowly, I lower her down into the snow, a stark contrast against her midnight colored hair. Her tongue slides across her front teeth as I pepper kisses along her, tracing a line between each collar bone. Goosebumps rise along my little sinner’s pale skin, creating a mandala unique to her lust. Blood rushes into my lower member as her hands find their home in my hair, gently tugging at my grown out blonde curls. “You deserve love, Kameron.” My name on her tongue is enough to send my heart through a series of palpitations.
“So tell me you love me, Lilith,” I respond. My teeth nibble against her skin, watching as the flesh begins to redden. Her chest rises up to me, begging for more. I slowly unzip her coat, taking note of the hardened nipples poking out from her soft, white shirt. “Tell me you love me as much as I love you. Tell me you feel this pull too. Tell me I’m not crazy for wanting you.” The moment I finish speaking, I bite down on her hard bud, causing a pained moan to leave her. Her music drives me to a point of delirium. I would drown in her sounds if given the opportunity.
I swiftly move lower down her stomach, motivated to show her just how much I mean what I say. Our eyes connect as I drag her shirt up, her hooded gray pools peering down at me with such hunger. “Tell me your appetite for me is as insatiable as mine is for you.” Her plump lips part, hot breath leaving her, forming a small cloud in between us. Visions of that pretty mouth taking my length flash before me, proving just how starved I am for my girl.
I finish my descent to her waist, swirling my tongue along the seam of her jeans.I’m fucking famished and my meal is laying before me, ready for consumption.More soft whimpers escape, fluttering in the air around us and I take my time slowlyunbuttoning her pants to give me access to her delicacy. She raises her hips, allowing me better access to shuffle the fabric down her thighs, leaving her in only her black lace thong. Her arousal glistens in the openings of the threads and I’m left utterly mesmerized. “Tell me you want me to devour you, Lilith.”
A small gasp leaves her at my words and I can’t help the smirk that stretches across my cheeks. I dart my tongue out, licking down the full length of where her slit is hiding. Her juices dance across my tongue and I can’t help but go back for more. I reach up and drag the fabric over to the side, leaving her completely bare to the cold breeze. More goosebumps appear, decorating my lover as they glisten back at me.
A sharp tug at my hair surprises me as Lilith claws at me to continue.The feeling is mutual baby.I lower back down licking circles across her clit, her hands pulling me against her harder. Her pussy clenches around the air, desperate to find friction inside. I adjust myself so all my weight goes to one side as I reach up and drive two fingers deep into her. “Fucking God, Kameron!” Lilith screams out, thrashing her hips into me.
Her warm inner walls feel so tight around my fingers as they clench against me when I find that sweet spot hidden away inside of her. It’s been far too long but the memory of how to work her body hasn’t left. It’s ingrained in me the same way my own name is. I suck on her bundle of nerves, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Her body goes rigid moments before she drenches me with her liquids.I find my salvation in her ecstasy. Praying to a God that lies within her. Enraptured by the holy literature that are the moans stretching across the scene.
