Not Until You

Chapter 14

Juniper’s POV

River was looking at me with those dark, steady eyes of his. I didn’t feel anger—no heat in my chest, no urge to turn away. Instead, there was a strange calm, the kind that settles in when emotions are too tangled to name.

Nakatingin siya sa akin na para bang hindi dapat ako matakot o mangamba sa kanya… o sa susunod na mangyayari.

Like what I’ve said na talagang pinag isipan ko during my break… I’m ready to face him with the truth na ako ang nakasunod at nagligtas sa kanya nung gabing iyon. That’s it.

After that, I can live again like a normal person, right? Iyong katulad bago nung gabing iyon. Iyong hospital at Velvet & Vine lang ang iniisip ko.

His gaze lingered, heavy with things unsaid, and for a moment it felt like the world around us faded, leaving only the quiet tension between us.

I held his stare for a while and I finally broke the silence. “Hi po, Mayor. Anything else?” He didn’t answer me, he was still looking at me.

Mabilis akong ngumiti at tinuro ang drink niya. “Hmm, himala? Napaaga ka po yata dito?” I looked around kung may kasama ba siya kahit na siya lang naman mag-isa.

He finally broke the staring game, at napalayo ako kaunti sa kanya, umatras. He blinked and looked at his drink, tapos ay napatingin siya saglit sa suot ko at ibinalik na naman sa inumin. “Ah, yeah, just this drink for now.”

What I wear is usually different from my usual clothes kapag nasa Velvet & Vine ako. I usually wear my scrubs or kung hindi pants and shirt or polo lang.

“Okay! Maiwan ko na po–”

“Why did you save me?” His dark eyes didn’t leave mine. “And why were you even there that night?”

Napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko, mahigpit ang hawak ng isang kamay ko sa tray na pinaglagyan ng drink niya.

River’s voice was low when he finally asked, like he’d been carrying the question for too long. And the question hit harder than I expected.

And why would he even ask why I was there that night—as if being the one to save him was somehow wrong?

I didn’t answer right away. I chose my words carefully.

“I’m a nurse,” I said at last. “That’s the reason.”

River finally stood up at halos mapatingala ako sa tangkad niya and we’re inches away from each other.

His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was weighing it. I continued before he could interrupt.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m on duty or not. When someone’s hurt, instinct na lang ’yon. Training. Muscle memory,” I said evenly. “I saw the accident happen. I was nearby. That’s all.”

That part was true—just not the whole truth.

“You make it sound simple,” he said.

“For me, it is,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “I didn’t think about who you were. I didn’t think about myself. I just did what I’m supposed to do.”

“Yeah, it’d actually kill you, too. And people don’t risk themselves that easily.”

I smirked. “I am and I'm alive… and ikaw din.”

He studied my face, like he was trying to catch something I wasn’t saying. My heart thudded once, hard, but I didn’t let it show. He didn’t need to know that I had followed him that night. That I’d been watching from a distance. That the accident wasn’t just something I happened to stumble upon.

Finally, he looked away.

“…Still,” he said quietly, “you didn’t have to stay.”

I met his gaze again. “But I’m a nurse,” I repeated softly. “Walking away was never an option for cases like that.”

“Why are you even sounding like it was a mistake? And I feel like I’m being questioned for doing the right thing?” I added, medyo naiinis kong tanong.

His brow creased. So I continued, letting the memory unfold carefully and selectively.

“That night… everything happened so fast,” I said. “Nakita ko lahat kung alam mo lang– iyong impact, pag-ikot ng sasakyan mo, glass shattering, the smoke… lahat. When I reached you, you were slumped over the wheel, barely responsive.”

I paused, my jaw tightening just a bit.

“And I smelled the alcohol.”

River stiffened.

“It was faint,” I added quickly, neutral, professional. “But it was there. On your breath. Enough for me to notice. I work here and in the hospital, Mayor. I can easily recognize alcohol.”

He looked away, shame across his face, and I almost regretted saying it. Almost. Pero bahala na andito na kami. Alam na niya at wala akong magagawa.

Coincidence, I told myself. Just bad timing.

I met his eyes again. “That’s it. That’s the reason.”

At sana tama na ‘yun sa kanya.

Silence settled between us again, heavier now but no longer sharp. He rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling.

“I don’t even remember you clearly for months,” he admitted. “But that night it’s just your voice. Telling me to stay awake.”

A small, careful smile touched my lips. “That means it worked.”

Kumunot ang noo niya sa sinabi ko. “It worked? What do you mean?”

Nginisian ko siya. “I was just doing my job, Mayor. I don’t need you to remember me from that night. Saving you… calling the ambulance… that should be enough.”

Nailing siya na ipinagtaka ko. “No. No… I mean, yeah that is one of the mysteries for months. You saved a Mayor’s life. People would’ve wanted to know who you were.”

“Seems like that night… you didn’t really want anyone to save you.” I told him straight.

Medyo napaatras siya sa sinabi ko. Wala kong takot na binanggit iyon sa kanya.

That night, I saw how his car slammed into the concrete barrier. There was something off with his driving, like he wanted it to happen.

I shook my head slowly. “I didn’t save the mayor, River. I saved a person.”

He opened his mouth, then stopped.

“I didn’t want attention,” I continued. “I didn’t want my name dragged into politics, press, or favors. I didn’t do it for credit or reward.”

“That’s hard to believe,” he said quietly.

I met his gaze, steady and unflinching. “It shouldn’t be. Nurses don’t pick who deserves help based on titles. That night, you weren’t a mayor. You were injured. You smelled of alcohol, you were disoriented, and you needed immediate care.”

The words hung in the air. He looked down, jaw tightening again.

“And besides,” I added, softer now, “coming forward would’ve raised questions. Questions that didn’t matter.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“Like why I was there at all,” I said, choosing truth without detail. “Why did I notice you so quickly? Why did I stayed.”

He looked back at me.

“I prefer to stay in the background,” I finished. “That’s where I can actually help people. No cameras. No expectations. Just doing my job. Kaya tingnan mo, nahirapan ka na hanapin ako. Mahirap hanapin ang taong nagtatago, Mayor.” Sinamahan ko pa iyon ng mahinang tawa sa dulo.

River nodded slowly, a mix of respect and something heavier in his eyes.

“…You really don’t want anything from me,” he said.

I gave a small, tired smile. “If I did, I would’ve asked you already.”

Silence settled between us once more.. but this time, it wasn’t hiding anything. It was understanding.