#Chapter 269: Stitched Up

Audrey “Edwin, I swear to the Goddess, if you tear those stitches again—” “I’m fine,” Edwin grunted as he lifted the heavy wooden sign over his head, his muscles straining with the effort. Sweat beaded at his temple despite the crisp autumn breeze, and through the bond, I could feel the throb of pain that he was clearly trying so hard to hide. I crossed my arms, watching him warily from the sidewalk as he balanced on the ladder, looking way too confident for someone who had been stabbed less than two weeks ago. “You were stabbed through the chest,” I reminded him pointedly. “Less than two weeks ago. There is nothing ‘fine’ about this.” “Audrey’s right,” Gavin called up from where he stood, holding the ladder steady. “I could’ve done this myself, you know.” But Edwin, of course, just shook his head, that familiar stubborn set to his jaw as he focused on securing the new sign above Avis’s shop window. The fresh paint gleamed under the morning sun, the