After Movies Novels & Stories

“Just making sure we’re on the same page, sis.” Lauren huffs, and I turn my attention back to the screen. Action movies are something we all agree on every time, so I go for that list instead, not wanting to waste any more time. We all settle for one that was just released, and for a couple of hours, we manage to entertain ourselves with it. By the time it’s over, the popcorn is long gone, the second bottle of wine is almost empty, Lauren is pissed off because she can’t drink due to the medicines the doctor prescribed, and I’m feeling slightly lightheaded.

I rubbed his back, then his head, “at least I got you, guy.” He jumped up on the couch, curled up beside me, swallowing most of my legs. I grabbed the remote for the television and flicked through the streaming apps and their movies until I landed on one of my favorites, Jurassic Park. I sat there watching it, then found out there was a marathon going on, playing every single movie, even the Jurassic World movies. I decided to stay up and watch them until I passed out or my eyes grew too heavy.

When every few minutes he’d lean over to comment on a scene, or adjust her blanket, or offer her popcorn from his hand. And after it ended? “Another one,” he said, standing before she could protest. “Stefan, it’s late.” “Exactly. Let’s make the most of it.” “You don’t even like movies.....” “But you do,” he said simply. “And this one’s for the fans. They’re still outside.” She sighed again. But a part of her didn’t mind. A tiny, annoying part of her was actually… enjoying herself. The second movie ended and by the time they got outside, it was almost midnight. They didn’t say much on the drive home, but Mia didn’t need words.

We had been two threads of different colors, woven together for years, until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began. Now I was just one half of something torn apart. I told myself I needed time — to learn how to live without him, to scrape him out of every corner of my mind. And little by little, I did. Three months later, I could finally breathe again. I could cook my own meals, walk outside, look at the sea without breaking down. I was… okay. Not healed, but functional. Before all of this, I’d earned dual degrees in Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

When the movie ended, Sandra excused herself to go back to her room and do a video call with her boyfriend. ​It was 8:30pm. Since she sleeps by 10pm, she decided to watch one more movie before going to bed. This time, she didn't want a comedy or an action movie. She wanted to watch something naughty. Something that would match the strange, heavy feeling she had been carrying in her chest since she came. ​She picked up the remote and chose steamy romance movies. Among them were 365 Days, Fifty Shades of Grey, High Society, and other erotic movies. She looked at the posters of the movies, seeing the way the actors were holding each other.

Fabian coughed into his hand to hide his laugh. “We are not acting shy,” Claire defended immediately. Susie narrowed her eyes. “You used to sit closer before.” Silence. Fabian slowly looked at Claire. Claire avoided eye contact instantly. Susie gasped dramatically. “Oh my God.” Claire groaned softly. “Please stop learning expressions from the internet.” ⸻ Later that evening, Susie fell asleep halfway through the project. Claire carefully carried her upstairs to bed. When she returned downstairs, Fabian was cleaning the scattered supplies quietly.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱

Nothing remained. No blood. No broken pieces. No sign that only hours earlier, a little girl had flown through the air and fallen there. Only the streetlight still shone, its yellow glow falling across the empty crosswalk. Dad stared at that patch of road for a long time. "Let's go," Mom said softly. Dad came back to himself and started the car again. When they got home, everything was exactly as it had been. The two Barbie dolls, one new and one cracked, still sat on the coffee table. Beside them was the cake box that no one had put away, and the slice of strawberry cake left for me. The air still smelled faintly sweet.

For a limited-time event, my fiancée and the toxic guy who wouldn't let her go pretended to be a couple. They'd agreed to break it off after a week, but he kept goading her. "Valerie, don't tell me you've lost your nerve. How about we raise the stakes for real? We said we'd play this for life. Whoever backs out first is a coward!" Just when everyone assumed Valerie would give up the game for my sake, she gritted her teeth and refused to back down. She even raised the stakes further, turning the pretend relationship into a pretend marriage. For the next five Christmases, Valerie went home with Grayson Huntington instead of me. This year was no different. I stared at another text from my

“Don't you dare end this ca-“ Without taking my finger out of her, I reached for her phone, clicking the end button. “He makes a lot of noise,” I mentioned. Avery’s eyes held so much emotion. Annoyance, lust. “What did you do that fo-“ Before she could complete her sentence, I curled my finger inside her, tapping on her wall. Her hips shot off the bed, tugging at the restraints as she struggled to get her hands free. Now that the distraction was over, where was I?