"Five, six, seven, eight…" Teagan mouthed along with Reed and Elena's steps from where she was standing off to the side of the set watching them filming.

Elena slid her hands across Reed's chest, pulling his shirt open as the buttons flew everywhere. She tossed her hair and spun to the side, but he pulled her back, twirling her into his body and dipping her down in the same way he'd done with Teagan just hours ago.

She'd be lying if she said she was enjoying watching their performance. They were great, and their chemistry was undeniable. The movie was going to be a hit based on them alone, but that wasn't where Teagan's mind was.

It was the way Elena rolled her body against his, feeling every inch of him. Memories of dancing in the sheets with Reed years and years ago flooded Teagan’s thoughts, and she couldn't push them away. When everything had been perfect…when the future was still stretched out in front of them, and fame and love were so close she just had to reach out and grab them.

The way he felt pressed against her, his lips on hers, devouring every ounce of her soul as their bodies slid against one another, naked and wanting. He'd done things to her she'd never been able to replicate with a man since. Not that she'd dated a ton since Reed, but she hadn't been celibate either.

There was a reason she was still single though. No one made her stomach flip like when he used to kiss her neck, trailing his tongue along the length of her body. Or the way she'd tremble when his hand slid between her legs and made every part of her come alive. And sometimes…she just missed the way he held her. The way they'd cuddle on the couch after a long day of classes, and how just his very touch could make her feel at home, like she belonged.

There was a comfort to being in love, to knowing that the man on her arms was hers, and she was his. She'd felt that safety with Reed.

She'd trusted him with everything she'd had…and then he'd left.

Now here he was with a leggy blonde all over him, looking hotter than sin, and all she could think about was how he'd felt pressed against her earlier today. Confusing as fuck.

"Cut!" Mario jumped up from his chair and walked on to the set. "Great job, Elena. Stellar performance, Reed. What did you think, Teagan? They follow your routine correctly? It looked sexy as hell."

Teagan pushed her shoulders back and nodded. "They were perfect."

Elena grinned, tossing her platinum hair over her shoulder and turning to Reed. She batted her long eyelashes and looked up at him from beneath them. "It's all about having the perfect partner." She trailed a finger down Reed's arm.

Teagan glanced up at him, wondering if he was falling for the starlet’s blatant flirting. Reed was staring straight at her, his eyes molten in the way that pierced through her. He didn't even seem to notice Elena.

Teagan swallowed and quickly looked away. It was too much, too intense, and she wasn't ready. She still hated him. Right?

"Or the perfect teacher," Reed said, moving away from Elena and closer to Teagan.

Teagan quickly stepped back and cleared her throat. "Right, well, thanks. I'm going to go." She gave them a quick wave and then moved toward the stage door.

"I'll walk you out." Reed was suddenly beside her, his stride matching hers. "It's pretty late at night."

She glanced over at him. "The set is guarded. I'll be fine."

"Indulge me."

She recognized the way he spoke—he wasn't going to back down. "Fine, but I'm just going to grab my bag from the dressing room and go back to my car. That's it. Nothing exciting."

Reed didn't respond, but kept his pace beside her. A few minutes later, they entered her small office that was basically a closet. Nothing fancy, but just a place to store her things while she was on set. A futon, a lamp, a mirror. It was pretty bare bones.

"This is your dressing room?" Reed looked around the tiny room.

She nodded. "What's wrong with it? Holds my stuff just fine."

Again, he didn't respond, but he looked upset. Though, she wasn't sure why it mattered to him.

Teagan packed her bag and pulled on a light coat then grabbed her car keys. "I'm parked in the back lot."

"I'll walk you there," Reed said.

She stared at him for a moment, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

Reed seemed confused, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you walking me to my car?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's the right thing to do when you care about someone. Keep you safe."

"Reed…"

"Teagan, don't look for reasons to push me away." Reed walked farther into the dressing room and closed the door behind him, shutting them inside. "Don't pretend we don't both know eight years ago was a mistake—a mistake we could fix now."

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she stood there, not knowing what to say. She was not prepared to have this conversation—not now, maybe not ever. "Reed, don't do this."

"I have to. I honestly can't look at you, or dance with you, for one more day and pretend I can handle this. Seeing you, touching you…it's killing me. I made a mistake, Teag. I made the biggest mistake of my life." Reed took her hands in his, pulling her closer to him. "I'm not asking for everything. I'm not even pushing my luck to ask for a second chance. I'm just asking for forgiveness."

She exhaled in one loud breath, trying to push away the tears that were already sliding down her cheeks. She turned her gaze away from him, trying to will away everything she was feeling. "Reed…you left me on our wedding day. For a movie. We were supposed to chase our dreams together, and you ran after yours alone. You left me behind."

He shook his head emphatically. "A movie? No, Teag…I didn't get that movie offer until days later."

"What?" That made absolutely no sense. He left her to take the movie. He left her to chase fame and money and women. She'd told herself that for years. "You…but…why? If not for the movie, then why? Why did you leave?"

Reed closed the gap between them, pulling her against his chest. "Looking back on it, I don't know what I was thinking. I thought I was doing you a favor…I thought I was helping you not have to choose between Broadway and me. I thought you'd turn down that role to be my wife, and I never wanted to be the man who stood between you and your dreams."

Teagan's eyes widened as she stared at him. Suddenly, she tipped her head back and laughed out loud. Like, deep belly laughter erupting throughout her entire body and bubbling up through her throat. He hadn't wanted to stand between her and her future…and yet, that was exactly what he'd done.

"Okay, now I'm confused," Reed admitted. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head, trying to compose herself. He'd ended things between them so she'd take the Broadway role…that she'd already turned down a week before. She'd been waiting to tell him, to surprise him with the news. If she'd told him a week earlier, she'd be married right now. Her entire life would be different. "Life. Life is damn hilarious."

"Does that mean we're…”

She shook her head. "We're nothing, Reed. If you want forgiveness, you can have that. I forgive you. I forgive you for breaking my heart, but we…we are nothing." Teagan pointed between them, and as harsh as her words were, she was surprised to find that she actually meant them. Now that she knew the truth, a lot of her anger was subsiding, and for the first time, she realized she did forgive him. She wasn't going to spend another day harboring the pain he'd left behind. And yet, that was where it ended between them. She still didn't trust him. She still didn't want to repeat her past mistakes. "We're coworkers, Reed. That's it."

Reed squeezed her hand harder then placed her palm against his chest over his heart. His heart thudded heavily under her touch, and the heat between them mesmerized her. "Teag, don't push me away. I know I'm not the only one who feels the electricity between us."

Teagan swallowed hard. She wasn't going to lie. "Chemistry is never something we lacked, Reed. But chemistry isn't enough for forever."

He lowered his voice, leaning closer to her. "What about right now?" His voice was husky and low, his lips inches from hers. All she would need to do is lift her chin and press her mouth to his and they'd be kissing. God, she remembered his kisses…

A shiver rolled over her, but she couldn't find her words.

"Teagan," he repeated, moving even closer. His lips nearly caressed hers, and for a moment, she wanted to let him. She wanted to kiss him. "If we can't have tomorrow…if we can't have forever…can we have tonight? Can we live in the past for a few hours…and pretend? I don't know how to stay away from you, Teag."

His lips brushed across hers and she leaned into him, unable to refrain from wanting just a little bit more. But he waited. He was waiting for her to say yes, to tonight, to tomorrow…to them. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, for him to come crawling back and beg her forgiveness. She'd dreamed of it, luxuriated in knowing that one day he'd regret what he'd done. One day, he'd want her again and she'd have the last laugh.

And now here she was getting everything she'd dreamed of, and all she felt was more devastated than ever before.

"No," she replied softly, her hand pressing gently against his chest to create more distance between them. "I forgive you, but that's all I can do."