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11850+ 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 713 of 791

Thirty-Year Proposal

Submitted to Contest #54

  It was the eve before Christmas eve. The store was packed with last-minute shoppers. Elle was standing by the door greeting customers. She was letting them know about the express gift card line. Customers commented on her festive spirit. Elle was dressed like an elf and was wearing a huge light-up Christmas tree hat. The hat had been a gag gift from her best friend Gina. Elle's birthday was exactly a month before Christmas. Elle acted like it was the worst gift ever but she secretly loved the ridiculous light-up hat. Th...

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Hurt People Hurt

Submitted to Contest #54

  James expected never to see Olive again. And there she stood, looking like yesterday, making coffee for a friend of Bill’s. She gave him a passing glance and looked away. But her face changed as only James would see. Even after so many years she still had that glimmer of a smile betraying her thoughts. She spoke without looking at him. “Well if it ain’t Mr. Big Stuff. Even the cat wouldn’t touch you. Put on a few pounds, you lanky s.o.b?” She gave him a bright smile. “Good to see you too, Olive. How you been?” “Can’t complain.” She ge...

31 likes 8 comments 8
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Pieces of my soul

Submitted to Contest #54

 It had been years since I had envisioned your face. One moment changed everything. You had just turned 29 and that would make 10 years since we had been together. Our teenage days were bittersweet memories now, behind us but still so fresh. I could still smell your cologne and see the brown specks in your eyes when you got close. As you opened the door your face looked the same. Age had not hindered you at all. Your eyes still the same brown specks and your beard now fuller than I had ever witnessed. I instantly felt safe the moment I ...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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I'm Not Going To Tell You To Calm Down But You're Not Going To Like The Alternative

Submitted to Contest #54

There was very little light in the parking lot, which was going to make my job much easier to do, but also presented issues. The women I pick have one thing in common, they need to look like her. The one. The only one. Danae. But in this double-edged illumination I can only make a rough estimation. She is older, I think, than I usually go for. Definitely older than the seventeen year old girl I had fallen in love with almost a decade earlier. However my hunger is too great. I am driven by a need that can only be spoken in the language of sta...

34 likes 16 comments 16
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Back To Us

Submitted to Contest #54

Marcia pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, rubbed her eyes and blinked. Was that really who she thought it was? Marcia had not seen Bryan in 20 years and here he was in the car opposite her at the stop light. She replaced the sunglasses and pressed hard on the gas. "Whew, thank God he was not paying attention" Marcia said out loud. "That was close" Marcia was the youngest teacher in the Department of Computer Studies and well-liked by her students. She loved to teach and looked forward to every session she taught but today ...

5 likes 1 comment 1
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Second Chance

Submitted to Contest #54

I’ve not been back in Edinburgh since, and yet here she is emerging from the crowd. I blinked as I caught her eye. ‘Hello, it’s been a while.’‘Nick, is it you?’‘Sorry to disappoint.’‘Not at all. It must be over ten years.’It’s been far longer, but my lips refused to move.‘You look like your father.’ Her dimples gleamed.I grinned. She looked so much like her mother, with her sparkling eyes and seductive features. She hadn’t aged so much as matured.‘You look radiant as always.’We experienced a long period of silence that has no place in any co...

8 likes 4 comments 4
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Tragically in Love

Submitted to Contest #54

When Kristen first met Paul, she didn’t think she would ever be able to love again. She was still madly in love with Marc. He had left her without warning. For three years, she cried on Paul’s shoulder. He was always there for her, no matter when she needed him. However, Paul fell in love with Kristen. He got tired of seeing her so miserable over someone who discarded her as if she were no more important than last week’s leftovers, but it was obvious that she didn’t feel the same. She had been hung up on her ex for years.One night, Paul fina...

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There's Still a Spark

Submitted to Contest #54

"Okay, okay. Yes, we're going, we're going. I know you wanna play with those doggies." I shut the car door with my left hand while my terrier tries his best to pull my right arm out of its socket tugging with all his might at his leash. For a small dog he is surprisingly strong. "Geez, calm down! You're gonna choke yourself!" Obi-Wan drags me down the slightly uneven steps to the outer gate of the dog park, whining impatiently. I shut the gate behind us before bending over to unfasten his leash from his collar and opening the inner gate. ...

11 likes 0 comments 0
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I'm Sorry, Alex Diaz

Submitted to Contest #54

"Well, pal, I better head out. I've got to get the kids ready for school tomorrow which means the alarm goes off at 5 A.M. sharp! Catch you in the office." Phil pushed back from the bar and grabbed his coat. "And do me a favor, Alex, just try and put yourself out there!" He winked as he strode out of the bar. I appreciate Phil, as a friend and a co-worker, and I know his intentions are good but my God! I am so sick of everyone telling me to put myself out there. Is it really so wrong to be thirty and single? Didn't Jenna Rink say thirty, fli...

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Cheated and Crooked

Submitted to Contest #54

"Coffee, black," I smiled at the barista in the small cafe. New York was difficult; I had a meeting in 20 minutes and I was sure to be late. I decided to call my assistant, "hey, Anne, you're gonna have to reschedule." "But, ma'am, he's already in the lobby," she spoke into the receiver. "Shit," I murmured and hung up the phone. I told the barista to cancel the order and left a $20 tip for the hassle. Then I border-line sprinted to my car. "Arthur, to the office," I instructed and he nodded quietly. The commute took approximately 25 mi...

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Missed Opportunities

Submitted to Contest #54

Blake hugged himself tight against the icy wind wrapping itself around his legs, his hands turning a funny shade of blue from the biting cold. He looked and looked for a warm haven from the cold for what felt like hours, before he finally discovered a quiet café out of the way of the hectic Christmas market. As he burst through the door a small bell above his head shattered the tranquil silence that enveloped the café, a sea of heads, old and young, swiveled and scowled at him. "Close the door," an old lady screeched. He pushed the doo...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Trapped In The Fall

Submitted to Contest #54

Each step was slow and deliberate, taken with the purpose to forget. One at a time, Delia crushed a yellow leaf under the weight of her baseless existence. She watched as they fell from the trees just as the tears had fallen from her eyes all those years ago. And she heard the 'crunch' as they met the same fate her tears had.Being ignored, neglected does not hurt as much as being abandoned by a loved one does. The pain wraps itself around your heart like sharp threads, tightly constricting any way to breathe but loose enough to leave you hal...

9 likes 0 comments 0
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Same Time Tomorrow

Submitted to Contest #54

Blaque stared up at the night sky and leaned on Akiro. Her eyes lit up in love, and Akiro’s body relaxed at Blaque’s touch. He howled, Blaque not too far behind him. Blaque nestled up even closer to him and closed her eyes.Akiro crouched low in the tall grass and resisted the urge to growl. His eyes narrowed in anger.“That’s all I have! I promise! Here. I can prove it. Take my bag.” Akiro shook, and his claws were digging into the ground. He watched as his daughter threw her bag at the feet of the large black-furred male. She was cowering in...

59 likes 78 comments 78
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Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining

Submitted to Contest #54

The white walls in my apartment was a contrast to the orange skies outside. Everything felt empty inside while people outside were happily living. I couldn't help but think about what I did. Ever since I left Colin, and Napa Valley, I realized what a terrible mistake that was. I looked out the window of my apartment, from my living room. I saw cars going by, and people walking the streets. I looked down at my phone. Should I do it? Are there such things as second chances? I called the first name that was on my "Favorites" list of conta...

8 likes 3 comments 3
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Ivy, Like the Weed

Submitted to Contest #54

"My fish died..." "Oh," I say, being especially useless in these types of situations. My best friend seems to be biting his lip to hold back the tears. Although, I recall him being nowhere near a caring state for this fish, he barely even fed it. "Yeah, man it sucks. I really liked Fin-Finnegan? Was that his name? No...I think it was Taco-" His voice trails on but I'm no longer listening. My eyes have landed on one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Her peach colored hair is catching the sun at the most perfect angles, her eyes a...

27 likes 13 comments 13
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RBE | RBE Romance | 2024-03

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