Page 11 of Backwater Bachelor

11.

Jane

The storm begins to clear, the wind's howls fade into a gentle rustling of leaves, and the rain slows to a soft patter against the roof. Danny and I lie side by side on the bed, wrapped in the silence that follows a tempest. The air is thick with unspoken words, and I know it’s time to tell him the truth, to lay bare the secrets that have haunted me for so long.

“Danny,” I whisper, my voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

He turns his head to look at me, his eyes filled with concern and curiosity. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. “I know you’re not the murderer. Because… I am. I killed that man in the swamp.”

The silence stretches between us, heavy and charged. I watch as Danny processes my words, his expression shifting from surprise to something unreadable.

“And I know you know. You saw me that day, didn’t you?” I continue, my voice trembling. “You saw what I did.”

Danny’s eyes never leave mine, and he nods slowly. “Yeah, I saw you.”

My heart pounds in my chest, the weight of my confession lifting slightly but still pressing down on me. “I came back to the swamp to understand why you didn’t tell anyone. Why you didn’t turn me in.”

”Because I wanted to protect you.” He sighs, reaching out to take my hand in his. His touch is warm, reassuring. “Your secret is safe with me. I understand why you did it.”

I blink, taken aback by his calm acceptance. “You do?”

Danny nods, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. “The man you killed… he would’ve hurt you if you hadn’t hurt him first. I saw the way he was coming after you. You did what you had to do to survive.”

Tears well up in my eyes, a mix of relief and sorrow. “I’ve carried that night with me for so long, Danny. The guilt, the fear… it’s been eating me alive.”

He shifts closer, his presence a steadying force. “I get it. And I’m here for you, Jane. You’re not alone anymore.”

I look into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and understanding there. It’s more than I ever expected, and it gives me a sense of peace I haven’t felt in years. “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice breaking.

Danny pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly. “You’re safe now,” he murmurs. “I’m with you in this. You’ve never been alone.”

We lie there in the dark, our bodies close, our breaths mingling. The swamp outside is still, a stark mirror to the turmoil inside me..

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I ask softly, needing to understand his reasons.

Danny sighs, his breath warm against my skin. “I saw the fear in your eyes that day, Jane. I knew you weren’t a killer by nature. You were just trying to protect yourself. I couldn’t let you go down for that.”

I nod, tears spilling over. “I was so scared. I thought I’d never be able to escape it.”

The man had killed my cousin Joy a year earlier. He was her boyfriend and he’d lured me into the swamp under false pretences, claiming he’d seen Joy wandering around. Stupidly I believed him, until I realized he’d been the one responsible for her death and that I was going to be his next victim. I managed to save myself, but then later I had this nagging feeling I was being watched.

As I dragged the body into the swamp, I could feel eyes staring at me. Eyes in the dark. And then they quietly disappeared, as if they hadn’t seen anything at all.

Coming here, I didn’t know Danny would hold no grudge. Didn’t know he’d be so different from what I expected.

”Danny, I threw the body into the swamp,” I say, licking my lips. ”Do you think…?”

”The gators took care of it,” he whispers and I frown. ”I saw him get crushed between their jaws myself.”

I swallow. ”I’m so sorry everyone suspected you were the murderer, I’m so sorry your reputation’s been ruined because of me…”

”It was worth it.” His eyes shine, warm even in the dark. ”Because it brought me you. Besides,” he adds teasingly, ”it’s not like I did completely out of the kindness of my heart. Men always expect to get something in return.”

I gasp, pretending to be shocked. ”What would you like in return?”

His brows wiggle. ”More of that,” he says with a nod at my body and I squeal, before we both dive underneath the covers.

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