Shit - it was impossible to stop his face from starting to collapse, though Kaden managed to hiss a sharp breath in through his nose and save himself from shattering completely. He hid against his knees for a long moment, hand on the back of his head, trying to gather himself so that when he raised his head he wouldn't break.
Maybe... maybe it would be easier if they parted on better terms. Maybe if he yelled at her and yelled at her some more, he wouldn't be able to live with himself after, but maybe if she didn't completely hate him when she left... that would be better? Maybe that's what she meant by I want to help you. She wanted to give him a... a chance to say goodbye, like he hadn't, with Blueberry.
Or with anybody else.
"I- I slept in a park," he admitted, eventually. It was still too hard to look at her, though. "I took Blueberry, but- I gave her back. I didn't hurt her! I just needed..." Needed? Wanted? Did it matter? Kaden rubbed his nose against his knee to stop it running. "I gave her back," he echoed miserably. "I didn't have any proper dog food."