a sound she hadn't heard before

twenty-four.

Adam. The word sends chills through Taylor's spine; a word that has not been uttered from her lips for four and a half years. Ayla's father. Everyone around Taylor knew not to utter his name. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about what he did to her, what he did to her daughter.

And now, here he was. On the worst possible day, he came waltzing back into Taylor's life. Before Ayla was in her life, Taylor would have simply frozen, unsure of what to do in a situation like this. But now, as her motherly instincts kick in, she simply takes off running. Out of the small rehearsal room and down the short hallway to the larger room, where the performance is to be taking place. With Joe on her heels, Taylor pushes the door open and runs past the usher, straight to where Blake and her family are sitting.

"Taylor, what's wrong?" she hears Joe asking behind her.

"Can't explain," she says, climbing across the Reynolds children to get to Ryan, who is holding Ayla on her lap. As soon as she gets the little girl in her arms, she breathes a sigh of relief, but she knows that she needs to do more. Adam is dangerous. She doesn't want Ayla to be anywhere near him.

"Thank you," she tells Blake and Ryan as she walks out of the row of chairs. "I'll call you later. Enjoy the show."

As much as she wants to, Taylor knows that she can't just ditch the rest of the company, so she walks over to Ben and Levi, who are speaking to a producer. Taylor feels awful, interrupting the conversation, but she wants to get out of here, quickly.

Ayla is just as confused as Joe is with everything that is unfolding around her, as she is placed into his arms momentarily.

"Joe," she asks, "why is Momma scared?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But I need you to be a very good girl for her and listen to everything she says."

Ayla nods, sensing the severity of the situation. She doesn't know why everyone is suddenly upset, or why she had to sit on Uncle Ryan's lap, but she knows that people are worried.

"Ben, Levi," Taylor says, walking over to the men. "I'm really sorry about this, but there's a situation, and Ayla and I have to leave. It's an emergency. Can the show go on without me?"

"Yes, of course," Ben nods, placing his hand on Taylor's arm. "Is there anything that we can do?"

"Taylor," she hears a familiar Scottish accent speak her name behind her.

"Oh my god," she whispers under her breath before turning around, cutting off her conversation with Ben and Levi. "Adam..."

"I thought that I might find you here."

"Why the hell did you come?" she asks him. "What makes you think you have the right to be here? To infiltrate my family, that you made it very clear that you did not want to be a part of, six years ago."

"Taylor, that's why I came. I saw those pictures that the paparazzi took a few months ago of your... our little girl, and-"

"Oh no. She is not our little girl. That is my daughter. I raised her alone, no thanks to you."

"You're right. That was my fault, but Taylor, those pictures made me realize that I do want to be in her life. I'm in such a different place now. I'm ready to be a father. I want to know her and I want to love her in the same way that you do."

Taylor can't help but laugh at the words coming out of the man's mouth. "Okay. Yeah, sure. You disappear, you pull that stunt that you did on her first birthday, and I'm nice enough to not call the police on one condition. That you go away and never come back. That I never have to see you again in my life. You have some fucking nerve," Taylor spits through her teeth. "You think that speech is going to change anything?"