Brighter Nights Novels & Stories

“Yeah you did, but I still had the nightmares even though you were there,” I countered. Jake flinched and nodded, probably at the memory of me screaming the house down in his bed. “I’ve only had a few nightmares since then, the only times I ever have them is when Liam’s not there. Like if he’s on vacation or something,” I explained, looking at Jake, watching as understanding shot across his face. We were all silent for a while. Liam was stroking the back of my hand; Jake was just staring at the floor.

Giselle appreciated the silence as they walked side by side. She liked admiring the night view of the place she resided with so much color from the lights decorated on the tree branches. It is unlike most of the roads in this city with street lamps that are barely working. The dimly lit roads make it dangerous for civilians walking back home or even vehicles meeting unfortunate accidents. She believes that this is a problem in the Philippines, and it should seek attention and action no matter how minor it is.

“It’s not time.” The beam of the flashlight touched the tent wall where Jake pointed. Something was written there—something in large, streaky red letters. ONLY YOU LAUREN Lauren felt her blood rush to her head and her chest turn ice-cold. The last thing she heard was Jake saying, “Lauren? Lauren?” and then there was nothing else. 24 K aren wasn’t surprised that David wanted to go to bed early that night. It sounded like he and Lauren had done every single thing at the fair—“’cept the haunted house,” he’d said in his most serious voice. “Because Lauren doesn’t like

Lara recalled the cluster of security men converging on the helipad, blurred glimpses of an incredibly large white villa, and heat that only increased the nonstop pounding behind her temples. Jet lag had finally caught up with her. A rueful grimace slanted her face as she gingerly slid out of bed to gratefully appreciate that the ground beneath her feet was no longer rocking. It was dark outside. Locating the bedside light, Lara glanced at her watch. “8 pm… Are you kidding me?” The housekeeper, at least Lara assumed the warm, matronly woman who had come to her assistance was the housekeeper, had been a merciful savior. She had taken charge, banishing Christophe and helping Lara to bed.

The vast starry sky provided a faint light that illuminated the city, and moonlight poured over the streets. Suddenly, the sounds of a horn’s call echoed throughout the city. Adrian got up and looked toward the tower. The green light had appeared again on the eighteenth floor, exceptionally bright in the dark of the night. ‘That sound is coming from the tower…’ Adrian was surprised by the call. It was the first time he had heard any sound over the past thirty-one days. As the sounds of the horn echoed, a series of swooshing sounds followed, illuminating the city's streets with bright lights. The place instantly became as bright as day. The lights around Adrian were so bright he could not dis

Everything he walked by, her heart skipped a beat and she got mental pictures from that night. Tyrell on the other hand didn't seem the slightest bit bothered. He acted like nothing happened between them. He acted so different from the night they hooked up, it was like he wasn't even the same person. It was another Monday and the night before, Kaitlyn and Sarah had stayed up really late watching TV. They had binge-watched a series they had both been missing out on because of work and now, Kaitlyn was regretting it. She was now at work and she was finding it hard to stay awake. She placed her head on her desk to rest a little and before she knew it, she dozed off.

This isn’t you… I concentrate on the blunt between my fingers, watching as the cherry brightens as I inhale and illuminates the thick cloud of smoke I blow out that spirals up into the air. I track the smoke and catch a glimpse of the tiny, brilliant stars that are unusually clear in the sky. On most nights, city lights illuminate the sky and diminish the brilliance of the stars. It’s fucking rare to see them, but they’re twinkling bright tonight. Trigger's tone on my phone rings, and all of a sudden I find myself trapped in the vivid dream I had the night he revealed his secret. When I answer the phone, I take another sizable drag from the blunt and hold the smoke in my lungs before I speak

There was nothing remarkable about that Tuesday night. Bianca's father was pulling an all-nighter at work, her mother was at a spa with some girlfriends for a few days, and Bianca had the apartment to herself. That was just how she liked it. She could order pizza and stay up the whole night watching movies in the living-room with no one to judge her for not having a job yet, for deferring her college enrollment. Well, Bruno was there, but he didn't really count. They'd had Bruno for nine years by then. He was of a discontinued range of multi-purpose robots, though his main function was guarding their home.

As I slipped on my jacket and checked my phone one last time, I felt ready. Ready to step back into the world, not as someone waiting to be chosen, but as someone choosing myself at least for tonight. The club welcomed us in a rush of light and sound, the doors opening to a world that felt deliberately removed from the day I was trying to forget. Warm, low lighting washed over the room in waves of amber and violet, reflecting off glass and polished surfaces.

The days were beginning to blur into a new kind of rhythm. By Night , the pattern wasn’t just locked it had become their entire world. Kai arrived at Eclipse early that evening, already buzzing with anticipation. He’d spent the day in his tiny apartment with Lila, who kept shooting him knowing looks every time he checked his phone or touched the fresh bruise on his hip. “You’re glowing like a man getting railed every single night,” she’d teased. Kai had flipped her off, but he couldn’t deny the truth.