Sleepless Review Novels & Stories

“Forget it.” *** Leon’s POV. I watched her run. She didn’t look back. Not once. The door slammed shut behind her, as I sat there, at my desk, unmoving. My laptop was still open, screen dimmed. The folder I meant to review tonight sat untouched beside it. Instead, I had fallen asleep. I leaned back in my chair, eyes scanning the empty room like it held an explanation. It didn’t. I never slept during an episode. Every time it hit, it wrecked my system. Adrenaline kept me on edge, even when the pain faded. Sleep wasn’t possible. At best, I’d shut my eyes and count the hours until morning. At worst, I’d pace the floor until exhaustion caught up.

Josephine I lie awake long before the alarm goes off, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. The room is dim, painted in the pale gray of early morning. Alexander is beside me, his arm draped over my waist, his body curled into mine like we’re two pieces of a puzzle that shouldn’t fit but somehow do. It should feel perfect. Almost does. But my mind refuses to quiet down. Deadlines scream in the back of my head, investor calls stack up like bricks, and that familiar voice whispers that I’m already behind. That I’ll never catch up.

The first crack in my perfect, stupid world appeared at 2:17 AM. It wasn’t a sound. It was a buzz. A low, insistent vibration against the nightstand, right next to my head. Jake was dead asleep beside me, snoring like a fucking chainsaw, one heavy arm thrown over my waist, pinning me to the mattress. He was a dead weight, a ball and chain I’d willingly clamped to my ankle. I was wide awake, a knot of dread tightening in my gut for no reason at all, a cold slither of premonition.

Alex asleep, _CREW_ hat on the nightstand. Downstairs, Bear asleep. UCLA, Chloe asleep. _Silence. 12:00 AM._ No court. No Harold. No Reese. Just pancakes. Just Rule 6. Just 8 being 8.

I didn't want to see her and ruin it. That night I wasn't able to sleep well it was not like the other sleepless nights that I normally hard most of them which were spent behind a laptop no this was different it was the kind of sleeplessness that erupted from actual excitement and joy and for the first time in a while I actually wasted on a bed and after the excitement sizzled down a little bit I was able to fall asleep without any sleeping pills.

I didn’t think she would actually send them. “What are you smiling at?” Cole’s voice snapped my attention to my laptop. He was sitting on what looked like a bunk bed, so he was probably still in the hospital. “I didn’t think you’d answer.” I bit my lip. “There’s been a lot of work lately.” I smiled. “How are you?” “Other than the fact that my chronic lack of sleep is doing a number on my facial appeal?” I let him see me roll my eyes. “I think I’m okay.”

“At least you’re honest about it. I appreciate everything, doc.” Jesse hung up the phone. He laid it back on the nightstand and moved down onto the bed. He hugged Christian and closed his eyes. Maybe he’d wake up in the morning and find that this past week was all a dream. He wished for that more than anything even though he knew it wouldn’t happen. He finally drifted off into a restless sleep filled with nightmares of losing Renee.

Regret? Or maybe just annoyance. She sighed and shifted in the massive bed, glancing at the baby monitor before quietly slipping out. In the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of almond milk and leaned against the marble counter. The penthouse felt too still, too clean, like a world she didn't fully belong in yet. And then… "Couldn't sleep?" She turned. Ethan stood in the doorway, shirtless in grey joggers, his hair an adorable mess. "I didn't mean to wake you."

The feeling of being watched remained a constant, cold pressure throughout the night, yet it was not the sleepless terror Danny had expected. He woke up utterly rested, a baffling discovery after two years dominated by crushing night terrors and violent flashbacks. His body had finally betrayed its programming, granting him a peace he thought he'd lost forever. It was a security so absolute it was chilling, making him wonder if the presence outside was a threat at all, or a silent guardian—one that, against all logic, reminded his soul of Alex.

“Let me pour you a cup. You look like you need it.” “I woke up like this.” “Did you even sleep like this?” “Not really.” Sidney ground her knuckles into her eyes. “I had to get the rest of my reviews from Nightmare Film Fest drafted.” “You don’t have to do anything. You’re not getting paid for this.” “I’m getting paid a little. Just not enough to live on.” “Either way, it’s a side hustle.” “Yeah, and if I hustle hard enough, it can be the main hustle. So, I had to finish the reviews.”