a sound she hadn't heard before

forty.

"We've got to do this today," Taylor says on the phone with Tree the next morning. "I want it to be over with. I want to know that my Christmas is going to be free of worry. I want to spend the day with my daughter and my boyfriend and not have to worry about him showing up on our doorstep or something else equally as fucking psycho."

Tree sighs. "I understand. It's just going to be hard because of the holidays. Nobody is going to want to deal with this case right away. Lots of lawyers have already gone on break."

"Then we'll go to the cops," Taylor sighs. "I don't care. I want him locked up in jail."

"I don't know if the cops will deal with something that happened so long ago."

"Tree, I really appreciate all of your help with this situation, and I know that I wouldn't be able to do it without you, but I need you to trust me right now. I need you to support me. I'm going to the police today. That's final."

Taylor can practically hear Tree tensing up through the line. "Okay. If that's what you think needs to be done, then you do it."

"Thank you," Taylor says. "Is there anything that I should know?"

"Just be as honest as you can. Take all of the evidence that you've compiled. You're making a serious accusation, so they're going to want to hear everything. Be ready to tell your story in full. Don't keep anything quiet. If you're going to do this, then  you have to do it completely. I know that you have a hard time talking about this, but you need to. And I think you need to go alone."

Taylor bites her lip. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to be there for a long time. You're going to be interviewed, and Joe can't be with you when you're telling your story. Neither can anybody else. Let Joe stay home and take care of Ayla. She certainly can't be there."

Taylor bites her lip. She knows, deep down, that Tree is right. She hates that. She hates that she is going to have to tell her story to a complete stranger, to somebody who isn't Joe or Blake, or somebody else who she would trust with her life.

"One more thing, Tay. As soon as you do this, it's going to make headlines. You have to understand that. Nothing can be quiet when you're involved. I know that sounds harsh, but that's just the way that it is. If you go today, it'll be the headline on every tabloid tomorrow."

Taylor takes a deep breath. "I know." She feels heavy as she says that. She hates that it's something that she has to accept. She has to choose between having a private Christmas while the rest of the world is talking about her and scrutinizing her, or having a Christmas where she is living in fear of a man who has suddenly decided that it's his right to completely control her life.

But as much as she dislikes the concept, the choice feels like a no-brainer to Taylor. She wants to get this over with. She wants to see him locked away in prison for a lifetime.

"Okay then. I'm going to trust you on this," Tree says. "I'll be here if you need anything. Let me know when it's done."

"Wait, Tree-" Taylor says, just before they're about to hang up the phone. "When I go to the police... should I go to the police in New York or New Jersey? He lives in New York right now but the incident happened in Jersey, so-"

"Just go to your local police," Tree says. "They're all connected. If they need you to go somewhere else, they'll send you, but chances are, they'll just be able to call up the NYPD and have them take care of anything they would need from Adam."

Taylor's whole body breaks into chills upon hearing his name. She doesn't know why. After not uttering it for years, she's recently gotten quite accustomed to hearing it again.