Page 79 of Scout

“So,” I say, because I don’t know what else to say. “You came.”

Xavier’s eyes are steady, dark and unreadable. “We didn’t want you to go through it alone.”

“I wasn’t alone.” I nod toward Juniper. “She’s kind of my ride or die.”

Juniper smirks. “Obviously.”

Kendrix shifts his weight, fingers drumming against his thigh. “We didn’t mean to blindside you. We just… wanted to be here.”

I cross my arms, mostly so I don’t fidget. “Why?”

He blinks, then glances at Xavier before answering. “Because we care. Because this matters. You matter. She matters.”

“You had a funny way of showing that before,” I say, and I don’t mean for it to come out so sharp—but it does.

Xavier’s jaw flexes. “We know.”

Juniper clears her throat dramatically. “Okay, I’m gonna go stare at the vending machine. You all need a moment.”

She walks off, totally unbothered, and I stare after her for a beat, trying to borrow her nonchalance.

“We’re not here to push,” Xavier says, quieter now. “Or to ask for something we don’t deserve. We just… couldn’t let this day come and not show up.”

I look at him, then at Kendrix. They’re not dressed how they usually are—no designer casual, no perfect styling. Just muted suits, wrinkled jackets, and tired eyes.

“Why now?” I ask. It comes out smaller than I mean it to. “I heard what you two said that weekend.”

That weekend’s still burned into my brain—Kendrix’s voice low, Xavier’s soft reply.I love you. I heard it. Clear as day. They meant each other.

So where does that leave me?

Did I mishear it? Miss a piece? Or did I just walk away before I could get hurt worse? Maybe I didn’t want the full story. Maybe I couldn’t take it.

“You also took off before you got any more information,” Xavier adds.

He’s not wrong.

“As for what comes next.” Kendrix shrugs, a sad kind of smile pulling at his mouth. “Whatever you’ll let us do.”

I chew the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know what I can let come next. I’ve got this kid. This life now. It’s not just about me anymore.”

And I mean it. It’s not about romance or closure or some messy throuple fairytale. It’s about Juniper, about stability, about being the one person in her life who doesn’t fuck up.

Xavier nods. “We know. We’re not asking you to pick up where we left off. We’re just saying… we want to be in your corner. In whatever way you’ll have us.”

Their eyes don’t plead. They don’t push. But there’s something on both their faces—something that almost feels like a second chance. And maybe, stupidly, part of me feels it too.

Silence stretches between us, a held breath.

Juniper reappears with a bag of M&M’s and cocks her head. “So? Are we hanging out awkwardly forever, or can we go celebrate me being legally stuck with you?”

That makes me laugh—and it breaks something in my chest.

“You two want to come to lunch,” I say slowly. “If that’s not weird.”

Kendrix’s face softens. “Only if I get to pay.”

“Not a chance.” I smirk. “Guardians don’t let sugar daddies pay.”