Nothing Super [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24 - "We need to leave."

Taylor was going to fall through the floor from the hole she was creating by her pacing. It couldn't be helped, she couldn't stop pacing.

The excitement and accomplishment from the night before had built a bomb inside her and she was about to explode. The second her phone dinged with a message from Dominic, Taylor swapped her room for his. With the fuse of her eagerness lit, she hurried over to him.

"Dominic, you aren't going to believe what I did-"

Dominic up his hands, shaking his head. "Taylor, don't, okay? Just don't."

At the blunt refusal to hear her, she took a step back, the light in her dimming. She studied him, seeing what her enthusiasm had blinded her to. His hair was disheveled, but not in a way that said it was purposeful and under his eyes were signs that he had hardly slept.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Dominic palmed his eyes, exhaustion radiating from him. "I'm fine. Can we go? I need coffee."

"You sure you don't want to-"

"No!"

The harshness made Taylor retreat and Dominic growled in frustration. "We need to leave."

"Okay."

Frowning with concern, Taylor nodded and reached for him. As she rested her hand on his arm, a baby's cry pierced the house. Dominic closed his eyes as his shoulders slumped.

"Give me a minute," he said.

Without looking at her, Dominic left his room. Taylor sank onto his bed, swinging one leg. Collin's shrill cry broke off and a minute later Dominic returned. He stood by the door, looking like his backpack was crammed full of boulders. Cautiously, Taylor slid off the bed and crossed over to him.

"Hey," she said. "You can talk to me."

Dominic pressed his fingers into his eyes as if trying to hold back the flood of his emotions. Taylor gently laid her hand on his arm, trying to remind him he wasn't alone. He let out a breath.

"Julia was pulling an all-nighter for some big test and my dad and I were up and down with Collin. Anthony was supposed to take care of him but the jerk didn't show up or even call."

Without thinking, Taylor wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. Startled, Dominic remained frozen before accepting the embrace and dropping his forehead onto her shoulder.

"I can teleport Anthony to Alaska so he throws up then freezes to death if you want," she said.

Dominic chuckled lightly then sighed heavily. "As much as I want that I still think Collin needs a dad. Even if it's only part of one."

"You're probably right." She paused. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He pulled away from her and dragged a hand through his hair, unable to look at her. "Umm...thanks for the hug."

"Sure. Though the goodness doesn't end there, I'll also buy you a bagel."

Relaxing, Dominic squinted at her. "Do I really look at that awful?"

She made an apologetic face. "Only kind of."

Shaking his head, Dominic sighed again. "Nothing I can really do."

"We could hang out at Starbucks for an hour or so. It might help you not look like death."

"Can't do that, it's part of the reason I'm so tired, I kept having to use the Time Stop to help Collin sleep."