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150+ Romance Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From the thrill of a first date to a snapshot tour through an entire relationship, our collection of romantic short stories will give you everything your heart desires.

Romance Short Stories – Page 7 of 10

The Faceless Dream

Submitted to Contest #317

I woke as she turned her head, just as I had a million times. I was about to see her face then I was staring at my bedroom ceiling. I closed my eyes and tried to find that place, as I had over and over again, but once I was awake, it was over. She was gone. Almost never the same dream, but always the same woman, whoever she was, in a thousand different situations. It started when I was about seven years old. My father got a new job, and we moved to a different small town. The first night in our new house, I closed my eyes and saw her standin...

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Stormy Mood

Submitted to Contest #316

The weather outside was turning quickly. My girlfriend approached the table across from me. She carried two cups. One hot cappuccino for herself, and an iced matcha latte for me. We usually switched off who would pay for things like this. This round was on her. Outside, I heard thunder in the distance, and through the open cafe windows, smelled the coming rain. She looked visibly uncomfortable. "Hey, are you alright?" "I'm fine. Don't worry about me," she replied. I reached for the latte. Once she gave it to me, I saw her hand was trembling....

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Waiting

Submitted to Contest #317

A soft breeze brushed against her bare arms as Lillis busily cleared dirty dishes and arranged chairs that had been left crooked as customers had gotten up to leave. She wiped the dark wood surface of the tables and then pushed a broom around the stone tiles. Customers had filled tables as soon as they were vacated all afternoon, but the patio was finally empty. Except for the woman with the perfectly-styled dark blonde hair, shot through with white, who sat facing the steps down to the sidewalk, a glass of wine on the table at her elbow. Li...

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Gunmetal Girlfriend Gunfight for Neon Babylon

Submitted to Contest #316

“Isaiah…” Everyone else was dead. “Isaiah!”Torn into tendons by teeth or tungsten.“ISAIAH!” The black lasers and electro set building the rave up were still in motion. And his favorite mix was playing, too.”“LOOK AT ME, ISAIAH!” Ihwa, Isaiah’s breakcore-loving girlfriend, music enthusiast, and moments ago, a hot pink SIG MCX carbine, was begging him with crosshair eyes to come back to her. “LOOK AT ME!” A trail of blood was approaching them. “What the fuck is going on?”“No time to explain.“What the fuck is that thing?!”“No time to explain. P...

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Echoes of an Unfinished Love

Submitted to Contest #317

Unspoken, UnforgottenThe café was almost empty that rainy evening, a hush of porcelain and steam that made everything feel closer than it was. I had a book open in my hands but wasn’t reading; the words floated and rearranged themselves into old faces and hallways I hadn’t walked in years.“Don’t you remember me?”The voice—low, quick, familiar—lifted every hair on my arms. I looked up.He stood there in a navy jacket, raindrops jeweled on the shoulders, the same steady gaze I used to dodge in meeting rooms and shuttle rides. There were faint l...

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Paradigm of Blood

Submitted to Contest #317

CW: Physical violence, gore and mentions of suicide. Being deemed as an irreversible mistake all his life, Joon had never wanted to stand out. Being the illegitimate child of a powerful family meant keeping his head down was a survival skill, not a choice. When he transferred to the elite Crimson High School, all he wanted was to disappear among the sea of perfectly pressed uniforms and gilded names who were adorned with arrogance as an accessory. That was until he met Hannah.Hannah’s world seemed flawless — the daughter of a business titan,...

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The Secret Affair

Submitted to Contest #316

Mary-Jane and I were alone together, sitting on the sand near the water, our toes dipped in. I noticed her attitude changing so suddenly this past afternoon, and I wondered what she wanted to talk to me about. I asked, “Is everything okay, M.J.?” She shook her head and scoffed. “You don’t get to call me that anymore. How could you?” I raised my eyebrows. “How could I what?” “Please, don’t even pretend you don’t know,” she snapped. “You’ve got a hell of a nerve!” Then she lowered her voice. “Are you seriously pregnant with another man’s b...

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Interview With A Suspect

Submitted to Contest #316

Rosie was at a complete loss for words. How dare that miserable creature call her obsessive! It was hardly her fault if she was the only person across this entire god-forsaken campus that understood the severity of this situation. A student was missing, and she has been missing since the first week of term. Yes, Althea Morrigan was as desperate for attention and popularity as any woman comes to be during her academic years- it’s a cutthroat and competitive environment, after all. And yes, she had a reputation of stepping on other people’s to...

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The Hum of the Wires

Submitted to Contest #316

The world hums. Not the gentle thrum of a refrigerator or the distant drone of traffic that most people tune out. For me, it’s a different kind of sound, a constant, low-grade static that lives inside the walls of every building, coiled in copper veins. I’m an electrician, which is either a cruel irony or the universe’s idea of a sick joke. I spend my days surrounded by the very thing that isolates me.Every wire, every circuit, holds a residue of the life that passed around it. It’s not a voice, not exactly. It’s more like the ghost of a fee...

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Que sera, sera

Submitted to Contest #316

Amani Jacobs tilted her head, peering at the delicate script inked on her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, what does that tattoo mean? ‘Que sera, sera’?” The dark red letters curved in elegant loops, ending in a gold-trimmed rose that looked real enough to touch. Gianna Jacobs smiled, a flicker of memory in her eyes. “It means whatever will be, will be. An old friend taught me that.” “Friend, huh? Do I know this friend?” Gianna chuckled, but said nothing. “Moooom,” Amani whined, nudging her gently. “I’m twenty-two and have never even seen you go on ...

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Traces of Tracy

Submitted to Contest #316

Attn: [Somebody. Anybody]: Buckle up and get ready for the most dangerous ride of your life as a lethal pair of Romeos are turned mortal enemies when a secret wedding goes wrong, ensuing murder, heartbreak, and an explosive thread of chaos lasting fifteen years throughout the quiet county of Oxfordshire! You’ve never read any like this! TRACES OF TRACY is a suspense thriller with heavy strokes of contemporary romance and a delicious dabbing of erotica. 350,000 words long, this EPIC NOVEL dives into the partnership and rivalry between a prie...

5 likes 1 comment 1
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Heat

Submitted to Contest #316

This story may contain sensitive themes or material that may trigger some readers. The announcement came over the radio as it always did about this time every morning. It would be hot again and unrelentless between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Insufferable heat. In the heart of South Carolina that's how it was every summer. It was hot everywhere and the heat affected all surfaces. Your legs would stick to the vinyl seats of the tractor or in the old ‘74 Chevy van. Seats covered in cloth were better and grandma always had a fresh towel. ...

1 like 1 comment 1
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Since You Asked

Submitted to Contest #316

The gentleman comes to sit next to me at the bar. I’m just sitting there, scrolling through messages on my phone, looking like a million dollars. My chestnut hair falls in soft waves over my ears, framing a face that has been artfully made up to look natural. I’m wearing a simple peacock blue jersey dress that is cut demurely but hugs my body in all the right places, paired with a necklace in blue and gold with rhinestone accents and matching earrings. The overall effect is tasteful and definitely eye-catching but does not appear flashy or v...

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What She's Hiding

Submitted to Contest #316

My wife has been acting strange lately, distant. I notice it most in the morning, when the sunlight pours through the kitchen window, splashing gold across the floorboards. Our son squeals in delight as I bounce him in my arms, his chestnut brown hair catching the light like a halo. Sometimes I look up and see my wife watching us, her eyes quick and uncertain, her lips parted as if she wants to speak but cannot find the words. When our eyes meet, she looks away, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I wonder when this started—this...

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The Lady in the Gilt Mask

Submitted to Contest #316

I still know the gleam of those large, meadow eyes, even behind the garish sheen of the gold silk of her mask. Her head might be tipped up, every centimetre precisely calculated to showcase a swan-like neck dripping in diamonds, but I recognise every flutter of those lush, upturned lashes. I could instantly detect how her bow lips shake like autumn leaves, even as they’re painted a luscious carmine. She may be a picture of elegance in her luxuriant merlot dress, every jewel scrupulously encrusted on the bodice, but I notice a terrified pinki...

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RBE | RBE Romance | 2024-03

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