A MERRY MAFIA CHRISTMAS (GxG)

LIX

My Christmas List: December 25th
Thank you for keeping me alive. 

❆❆❆❆❆❆

"And then you were out for the entire night," Armani finished explaining everything—from me getting shot, the surgery, to her inflicting absolute hell on Diana, and how she slept here by my side until I finally woke up.

The entire recovery I had supposedly made and the ski trip I thought I had gone on was all a dream, which I was fortunate to wake up from. 

Armani shook her head, "I'm so mad at you for taking that bullet for me." 

I raised a brow, "Mad at me? I'm mad at you." 

Armani smiled slightly, looking up at me with an amused glint in her eyes, "I couldn't have possibly done anything to make you mad at me." 

"You took up the entire bed all night," I said, which earned a full-on laugh from Armani. 

"As if you could even tell—you were deep asleep. Do you know you snore?" she said, which earned a playful gasp from me. 

"I do not snore!" I said, nudging her slightly as she laughed harder. 

But as the seconds ticked by, her laughter slowly faded off, and she looked at me with an unreadable expression. 

Finally, after a short moment of silence, I said, "What?" my eyes tracing her face for any indication of what she could possibly be thinking. 

Armani leaned in closer to me, "Nothing, I just can't believe you actually took a bullet for me." 

"I'd do it again," I said, not even bothering to hesitate. 

Armani's hand came up to my face, gently caressing my cheek as she gazed into my eyes, "I hope you know that you're not going anywhere now, especially after doing something like that and backing it up with the fact that you'd do it again," she pointed out, raising a slight brow. "You're mine forever," she said, her tone strict and serious. 

I couldn't help but smile, pressing a fleeting kiss to her forehead before saying, "I never wanted to go anywhere in the first place," I said, which caused her lips to twitch upward. "Besides, I'd love to be yours forever." 

"Hmm love?" she said, her tone taking on a teasing approach. 

I gasped in realization, "That's another thing I'm mad about!" I exclaimed, which earned a challenging brow raise from Armani as a single laugh escaped her lips. "You said you were in love with me first—I was supposed to be the one to say it, especially since you've initiated everything first." 

Armani laughed again, "Seriously? You're actually mad about that?" 

I nodded defensively, "You initiated our first kiss, our first date—honestly any big milestones you initiated, and now you've taken this from me too." 

"I didn't realize it was a competition," Armani said, laughing harder as she shook her head. 

I rolled my eyes playfully, "It's not, but still..." I said, crossing my arms over my chest with a pout. 

Armani frowned, pecking my lips that were pulled into a pout, "Technically I only said I was in love with you... I never actually said I love you," she said, which made me raise a brow. "Which means, it could technically be yours..." 

I felt my lips twitch upward into a slight smile, "Yeah?" 

Armani nodded without hesitation, "Yeah." 

I leaned into Armani even further, brushing our noses against one another, "Then..." I trailed off, staring deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Armani," I breathed out as butterflies swarmed my stomach intensely.