"Hey. Look at me," Cater urges. His tone is firm but not unkind. "That wasn't you. You weren't you."

This is...it prickles under his skin in a way he doesn't understand. So what does he care if Riddle doubts himself? It's only fair to feel that way after what happened. He'll figure it out on his own, probably, and if not, he has Trey to pick him back up again. So, why? Why does he feel so...responsible?

"You screwed up, yeah. Really, royally made a huge mess of things. But you know what else you've done? The hardest part: admitting it."