A MERRY MAFIA CHRISTMAS (GxG)

XLII

My Christmas List: December 18th
Take away all the damage that my sister has inflicted on me.

❆❆❆❆❆❆

Being coddled by Armani is... nice?

But at the same time, it makes everything feel so different. She always acts with hesitation and caution and on top of that she has people doing anything at my beckoning call.

I want a stack of waffles? Done. I want an entire new wardrobe? A stylist will be here in under an hour. I want the rarest flower ever to set down roots in dirt? It'll be here by tomorrow.

I could want a fucking unicorn and they'd find a way to get it to me.

Again, it's nice... But it's a lot.

Too much actually.

I just want to be treated normally. I want Armani to look at me how she used to. I want her face to not automatically soften at my presence. Or for her to ask, How are you today? Did you need anything? I can get Arthur to arrange anything you'd like.

She has a reoccurring pattern of asking this—when I come out for breakfast, when I see her mid-day, and at night when I'm getting unready.

It's growing tiresome and it only reminds me of what happened, which is something I desperately want to forget.

My head lifted when a knock sounded at the conference room door.

I knew it couldn't be Heidi since she luckily had arrangements to make back at her real office in Chicago.

My shoulders inevitably slumped with a slight sigh, knowing it was probably Armani performing one of her frequent check-ins. I hated that I dreaded them.

"Yes?" I called, looking toward the door.

My heavy pen almost immediately dropped from my other hand, "Milli?" I said, feeling completely caught off guard by her drop-in.

Then again, when do I ever anticipate her presence?

She cleared her throat, entering the room fully, "Hi Mir," she said, closing the tall door behind her.

I took a moment to take in her appearance. She was wearing her normal casual outfit—a beige turtleneck sweater and black jeans—but her face looked a little more grim than usual. And that's even with the face of makeup that usually covers any of her genuine expressions.

If Armani told her about my burning, I might actually lose it.

Hesitantly, I said, "What did you need?"

Millicent briefly looked down before meeting my stare, "I came here to talk to you."

I stayed silent, blinking a few times as I tried to find any other explanation for her presence rather than it regarding my burning.

But I couldn't.

For the first time ever, I actually hope she's here to insult me. It would be better than her knowing about me harming myself—who knows she'd probably make fun of me for that too.