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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of romance short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

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 9 of 10

Second Breath of Us

Submitted to Contest #309

SECOND BREATH OF US A Short Storyby J C Neel I get off the bus at my usual stop, just as I have for the past six years. But this time, deep in thought, I trip and nearly lose my balance. I manage to regain my footing before falling, hoping no one notices. When I look up in embarrassment, a beautiful young woman is smiling at me. It isn’t a mocking smile, more like a friendly one. As I make my way into the small group of people waiting for the next bus, she walks up to me. “Don’t you hate when that happens? Maybe you should lighte...

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Under the Umbrella of Destiny

Submitted to Contest #309

“Ms. Marissa Johnson. I’m afraid your application has been rejected. Another candidate was selected for the slot you were interviewed for.”“I understand. I should go now.” Marissa's shaky voice replied, a fake smile covering her weary heart. She swung her duffel bag over her shoulder, avoiding eye contact with the young, blonde woman who stood before her and left the secluded office. Her heart sank with each step she took. Her smile faltered as tears glistened in her eyes. She didn’t care about her clothes getting soaked by the rain and her ...

10 likes 7 comments 7
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Portions of Love

Submitted to Contest #309

As every Sunday went, Preeti stood barefoot on the warm hardwood floors of their kitchen, her toes sinking into the vivid runner she had carried back from Rajasthan - deep indigo and white block prints, soft from years underfoot. The kitchen itself was a blend of two worlds: sleek American cabinetry and modern pendant lights alongside a beautiful brass diya from her mother’s puja shelf, a line of terracotta spice jars with little hand-painted elephants, and a Pichwai painting framed between photos of their Boston trips.Now the kitchen was al...

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The Years the Tide Took

Submitted to Contest #309

The sun was dipping low over the Adriatic, its last amber rays scattering like brittle shards of glass across the water. In Cavtat, the small Dalmatian town where time often felt like it was folding over itself, Lara stood at the edge of the old stone pier, watching the sea swallow the horizon. The scent of salt and pine was heavy in the air, but inside her, an emptiness echoed louder than the waves crashing against the shore.Her fingers clutched the thin silver chain around her neck, cold against her skin. It was the only thing she had left...

10 likes 8 comments 8
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Centre your story around two characters who like each other but don’t get a happily ever after.

Submitted to Contest #309

Late Fall Every Thursday at 5:30 PM, Emma met Chris, no questions asked.Their spot, the café on Montrose Street, Halcyon Grounds, had been theirs for almost six years. It was situated between a used bookstore and a locksmith, the kind of hole-in-the-wall café you could stumble upon or walk by entirely. The inside was dimly lit, with warm lamplights and mismatched secondhand chairs; even the mugs were mismatched, all layered with the scent of old books. There was a vinyl player in the corner that only ever played smooth jazz records. It was n...

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Only Once

Submitted to Contest #309

Author’s Note:This story is set in Russia, but it is purely fictional and not intended to reflect any political stance or real-world events. The cold wind burns my cheeks a crimson red. The snow crunches under my boots, leaving a trail behind me. Snowflakes fall like scattered ash, blinding my view ahead. The air is crisp and biting; it snaps like a rabid dog — too cold, too bitter for a foreigner like me. Finally, the hotel comes into view. My slow, careful steps become erratic and fast as I try to catch up to the place I know offers warmth...

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Her Life in Art

Submitted to Contest #309

The frigid winter breeze bites a warm rosy pink into his cheeks. The air gracefully carries itself across his face, slitting his chapped lips further. He prepares himself for a walk to the coffee shop, making his way down the paved driveway stuffing his hands deep into his denim pockets. Dried leaves and twigs crunch and crack beneath the heavy weight of his worn brown boots. With each step his keys rattle in his back pocket, the same way the wind chimes that hung at her front door did. Approaching the cafe, there are children choking on chu...

3 likes 1 comment 1
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And She Lived Happily Ever After

Submitted to Contest #309

It was the third day of my spring semester, Freshman year. I made my way to the College of Engineering alone and uncharacteristically early. When I got into the small classroom, I found an empty spot near the back. Not too close to the wall, but definitely not the middle.The rest of the class slowly filed in while I pulled out my notebook, planner, and pencil.A boy, gangly but cute, spotted me from across the room and made a beeline for me. Why he did it was a mystery with an answer that would never be clear to me. We made eye contact, and t...

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Lavender & Cinnamon

Submitted to Contest #309

Sage made lavender tea every Sunday morning.Always with a spoonful of honey.And just a pinch of cinnamon.That’s how Aaron used to take his.That’s the only way she’d drunk it for the last three years. He used to say it tasted like spring mornings and new beginnings. Now it just tasted like what should’ve been.She didn’t make it to forget; she made it to remember.A small, sacred ritual for a love that never got to grow old. As the tea steeped, she stirred slowly and watched the steam curl into the air like a memory you can't catch. Her mind sl...

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Love in the margins

Submitted to Contest #309

The old bookstore was more than a refuge from the city’s relentless bustle; it was a sanctuary for misfits and dreamers. The bell above the door chimed with a hollow nostalgia every Tuesday when Elena stepped inside, the sound echoing through aisles crowded with sagging shelves and the ghosts of a thousand unread stories. The air was thick with the scent of yellowing pages, mingled with the faint aroma of cinnamon from the bakery next door—a scent that always reminded her of childhood afternoons spent in her grandmother’s attic, leafing thro...

17 likes 7 comments 7
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The Confessions of a Hopeless Romantic: Listen to Your Gut

Submitted to Contest #309

“Do I know you?” was the line that simultaneously started and ended my life, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. Yes, that is right. I am dead, and I am writing this from beyond the grave to warn young women like me to be wary of seemingly harmless inquiries from strangers and playing along with them. I made that mistake. Although it led to the greatest adventure and most fleeting love of all time — all in a single day — it ultimately ended in my death because I trusted someone I didn’t truly know. I fell victim to “Do I know you?” and I a...

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Tea

Submitted to Contest #309

The tea flowed into the cup, orange-brown and steaming, as the bell at the door of the gallery chimed. She looked up, surprise colouring her expression, it was late in the day and if she was honest, no one ever came in anyway. This place was her pipe dream; a tiny gallery of her work arranged in an oddly shaped commercial space that no one else would rent. It cost little, the stairs that went no where but filled half the width of the room may have had something to do with it.A man, smartly dressed in a white shirt and dark slacks, with a jac...

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Between stations

Submitted to Contest #309

The train came to a loud screeching halt halfway through its route and didn’t start again. Sleepily, I looked outside. Beyond the smudged glass, sunlight was beginning to rise, its yellowish rays soaking into the cold fog, thick as milk.Quietly, I joined the growing crowd. For a moment, I looked up from my phone, gaze aimlessly fixed on the stairs leading out of the concrete underpass- and suddenly, he was standing there. Like me, he had a phone in his hand, earphones in. A surprised look flashed in his eyes, like a reflection in a mirror. T...

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A table for one

Submitted to Contest #309

The drizzle outside has started to pick up. The drops are growing larger with every passing moment. The gap in time between their fall is getting smaller. The pitter patter sound they make as they splash on the ground is becoming louder. Ever since I was a child, I never could tell if it was raining strongly to take cover or was it mild enough to enjoy it just a little more. It's the reason I fall sick every rainy season. I am still wondering about why it is so when a soft but assertive hand pulls me into the coffee shop. We stand against th...

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The Newspaper Clipping

Submitted to Contest #309

Rick was the human embodiment of "meh.” I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why I found him so dismissible. Was it his quirkiness? Or his inane comments that made everyone (except me) laugh? Was it his nervous leg-thumping like a jackhammer under his desk during English class? I’m not saying he was the worst human ever, but he was not the first guy I’d invite to a party. Or a family dinner. Or a Tuesday. One chilly October night, I arrived at school to take my post as ticket seller for the annual charity dance, where my nostrils were immediately ass...

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RBE | RBE Romance | 2024-03

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