Jack Abbott x Reader ~ Jealousy, jealousy Part 4
A/N ~ Thank you so much for the love on this series 🫶🏼 I hope you enjoy this part.
Series so far: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Summary ~ Mohan gets closer to Jack. Your friend shows up. Jack walks away.
Taglist ~ @girljusttrying97 @trustmeima-doctor @materialgirl-97 @willgrahamcrackerr @sideblogmeanz @ghostlywonderlandtragedy @binaryssunsets @nathymrx @cath-ryn95 @fionaapple888 @acrookedtree @santinstar @saibaxoxo @nat20st @spicymango422 @aic1709 @mrsxchase @looploopbeboop @ineedbooksandoldermen @4ria790 @penvisions @amacphet @calytrixsworld @renegadebirch @jennywennypenny @redsakura101 @aerionshipthrust @aurachester @yellrow @thefemininemystiquee @skagelynn @thedistractedwriter @devildoll769 @the-sassy-one @chloejuliana @itsporcelain36 @book-nerd-fan-girl @garci7 @amara-75
“Oh, come on, I was joking. Kind of!” Jack’s voice followed you down the corridor.
You didn’t slow. The sharp scent of antiseptic clung to the air as you pushed through the crowded waiting room, weaving between patients and plastic chairs, your shoulder brushing past muted conversations and tired sighs. The double doors swung open with a dull thud and the cool night air hit your face as you stopped just outside. A lone lamppost flickered above, casting a soft amber glow across the pavement, stretching shadows long and thin. It felt quieter. Still. Until, footsteps approached quickly behind you.
You turned. Jack stood a few feet away, slightly out of breath, his expression softened by that familiar smile. The one that always made things harder than they should be.
“You want me to come back to the night shift?” you asked, folding your arms, keeping your tone steady. He nodded without hesitation.
You turned on your heel and started down the pavement. The rhythmic tap of your shoes echoed faintly against the concrete. Behind you, Jack fell into step, even though it meant heading completely the wrong way.
“It would solve all our problems,” he said.
You stopped mid-step, turning back sharply. “Problems?” Your brows furrowed. “What problems?”
Jack sighed and moved to stand beside you under the lamplight. For a moment, he didn’t meet your eyes.
“I know what you meant earlier… on the rooftop. About me and Mohan.” He finally looked at you, his voice quieter. “It’s not true. There’s nothing going on between us.”
You held his gaze, searching, really searching, for anything that didn’t line up. A flicker of guilt, hesitation, anything. This was Jack. He wouldn’t lie to you.
“Tell that to the nurses who saw you half-naked getting patched up by her,” you shot back, turning away before he could read too much in your face. This time you walked faster, your steps sharper, more purposeful.
Jack jogged slightly to catch up. “Okay, look, yeah, I get how that looked but it wasn’t like that.”
You let out a dry scoff, not slowing.
“And I didn’t realise you cared that much about me being shirtless in front of other people.”
That made you stop. Jack nearly walked straight into you. When you turned, there was a small smirk tugging at his lips, his shoulders lifting in a half-shrug. He knew. He’d seen right through you.
“I don’t care,” you snapped, the words coming out louder than intended, “Go and be naked with her. It doesn’t bother me.”
The anger lingered in your chest, hotter than you meant to show. Jack’s expression shifted.
That was all he needed. Proof. Confirmation that whatever this was between you hadn’t just lived in his head during those long, quiet night shifts.
“Yes, you do.” He stepped closer. Your breath caught but you didn’t move away.
The air felt charged, thick with everything neither of you had said out loud. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then, your phone buzzed. Sharp and sudden cutting straight through the tension.
You pulled it out, the glow of the screen lighting your face in the dim street. A message from your friend lit up the display, something casual about after-work drinks. Jack’s eyes flicked down before he could stop himself. He caught just enough to understand. Something in his expression shifted. Subtle but unmistakable. The softness drained, replaced by something more closed-off. Distant. He took a small step back. You noticed but you didn’t say anything. Not yet. The air between you changed like a door quietly clicking shut.
“Guess you gotta go,” he said, his voice quieter now, eyes not quite meeting yours.
Your brows pulled together. “Why do you do this?”
“Do what?” His tone sharpened slightly, guarded.
That landed harder than you intended. You saw it in the way his jaw tightened, the flicker of something wounded crossing his face before he masked it.
“I’m not,” he shot back, a little too quickly. “You’re the one going around with some guy and laughing about it in front of my face.”
The words came out harsher than he meant them to. He swallowed straight after, like he wished he could take them back. His hand tightened around the strap of his bag, knuckles paling with the pressure. Then, it hit.
A sharp, familiar pain. He winced, quick, involuntary but enough. You saw it instantly.
“Are you okay?” Your voice softened.
You knew that look. You had seen it before, more than once during those long night shifts. The subtle shift in his posture, the tension he tried to hide.
It was a routine the two of you had fallen into when you had worked nights. Quietly, guiding him to an empty observation room. Sitting him down. Giving him space as he removed the prosthetic, never making a big deal out of it. Just being there. Talking about nothing while he cleaned it, like it was the most normal thing in the world. The first time had been awkward; Jack had barely met your eyes. After that, it became something else entirely. Something steady. Familiar. Something his. Because you saw him. Not just the easy parts. All of him. Now, standing here under a flickering streetlight, he wasn’t sure if he had imagined that closeness at all.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he said, too quickly.
He took another step back putting space between you like it was something he needed. Or, something he thought you did. Before you could respond, he turned and the moment slipped away. Just like that.
“You should go see your friend,” he added, his voice distant now, already half gone.
Then, he walked away, heading in the opposite direction without looking back. You stayed where you were, standing under the lamplight, your phone still in your hand.
Somehow, feeling like you had just hurt someone you cared deeply for.
Mohan leaned against the nurses’ station, glancing over as Jack approached. He looked tired but there was still that easy warmth about him even when he was half-running on caffeine and no sleep.
“Rough night?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Jack let out a small breath of a laugh. “When is it not?”
She smiled at that, stepping a little closer. “You handled that last case well though. Not many people would’ve caught that complication so quickly.”
Jack shrugged. “Team effort.”
He didn’t brush her off. Didn’t move away. If anything, he stayed standing against beside her. That was enough. Mohan felt something flicker; interest, maybe more. The way he stayed, the way he listened, the way his tone softened just slightly when he spoke to her. It wasn’t nothing. Or at least, it didn’t feel like nothing.
“I meant what I said,” she added, her voice quieter now. “You’re good, Jack.”
He gave her a small smile in return. “Thanks.”
It was simple. Friendly. But Mohan read more into it. Before she could say anything else, movement at the entrance caught her attention.
Walking into the ED with purpose, your bag slung over your shoulder, already scanning the room. Mohan noticed something else too, the tightness in your expression. Your eyes flicked once, briefly, toward Jack and then away.
Mohan’s gaze shifted between the two of you, something clicking into place. She straightened slightly, almost instinctively stepping a fraction closer to Jack’s side, her shoulder nearly brushing his arm. Claiming space. Jack didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn’t react as his eyes were now on the his phone screen. Mohan’s lips curved faintly as you looked their way again.
The call shattered the moment. Everything snapped back into motion. Mohan pushed off the counter immediately, falling into step as the doors burst open. Jack moved with her on instinct and then you were there too, taking your place on his other side. The three of you fell into formation like always. Except this time, Mohan was watching more than just the patient.
“Vitals?” you asked, calm, controlled.
“BP dropping, pulse is weak,” Jack replied, his tone just as steady but he didn’t look at you. Not once. His focus stayed locked on the patient. Mohan caught that. She also caught the way you noticed. A flicker, barely there but it was enough.
“I’ve got airway,” Mohan said, stepping in just a little closer to Jack than necessary. Close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm.
You saw it. You said nothing. Just a single nod. “I’ll lead.”
The room filled with noise and movement. Monitors beeping, instructions firing back and forth, gloves snapping into place. Controlled chaos. The kind they all thrived in.
Jack passed instruments across to you without meeting your eyes. You took them without hesitation but there was a tightness in your movements that hadn’t been there before. Mohan’s gaze lingered for half a second too long. Curious. Calculating. So she stepped in again. Closer this time. Leaning across Jack as she checked for a pulse, her arm brushing his chest as she worked. She didn’t miss it the way you stilled. Just for a fraction of a second but it was there.
The patient stabilised soon after. The team began to step back, tension unwinding in small, practiced motions. Mohan didn’t move away. Instead, she leaned in again, subtle but intentional and her shoulder nearly touching Jack’s as she adjusted a line.
“I was wondering if you had some time to go over that technique you used on that patient we worked on before?”
Across the room, you paused. Gloves half-peeled, hovering over the bin. You didn’t turn.
Jack hesitated. His attention flicked toward you.
Mohan smiled. “Great. Maybe after shift we could meet and go through it properly?”
Mohan watched you as she said it. Watched the way your shoulders tightened. The way your hand stilled. The silence. Your stomach dropped. She could practically see it happen.
“Continue monitoring,” you said evenly. Then, you turned and walked out.
Jack noticed it immediately. “Y/n—”
But you were already out the door.
Mohan stayed where she was, her expression carefully neutral as she adjusted her gloves, though something small and satisfied settled beneath the surface. Jack exhaled sharply beside her as he yanked off his gloves.
“Keep an eye on him,” he muttered, already moving.
Then, he left. The room fell quieter in his absence. Mohan glanced toward the door you had just disappeared through with a small smile curved at her lips.
“I’m telling you, I saw it,” Javadi whispered, leaning in over the nurse’s station.
The department carried on around them. Phones ringing, printers whirring, the steady rhythm of a shift that never really slowed but in their corner, attention had shifted completely.
Whitaker didn’t look up at first, still scanning his next patient’s chart. “Saw what?”
Across from him, Santos stopped typing mid-sentence. She turned in her chair, eyes bright. “Oh, this better be good.”
Javadi glanced around quickly, then leaned in even closer. “Mohan. She fully made a move on Abbott.”
Whitaker looked up, one brow raised. “Explain.”
Santos sat up straighter. “No way.”
“Way,” Javadi said, nodding firmly. “Right after that trauma. Patient’s stabilised, everyone’s still in the room and she just slides right next to him and goes all casual like, ‘maybe after shift we could meet and go over that technique properly.’”
Santos’ mouth dropped open in delight. “You’re kidding.”
Whitaker leaned back now, arms folding as he processed. “And Abbott?”
Javadi made a face. “He didn’t answer at first. Looked at y/l/n.”
That only made Santos grin wider. “Oh, that is bad.”
“And y/n just… walked out,” Javadi finished, lowering her voice slightly. “Didn’t say anything else. Just left.”
Whitaker let out a quiet breath, shaking his head slightly.
“Called it,” Santos muttered under her breath, clearly pleased with herself.
From the edge of the station, Mel, who had very obviously been listening despite trying not to, sighed. “Can we not do this?”
“No, we cannot,” Santos replied instantly.
Javadi nodded in agreement. “We absolutely cannot.”
Mel pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why are you both like this?”
“Because this is interesting,” Santos said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“This is going to get messy,” Whitaker added, glancing back down at his screen.
“You all need hobbies.” Robby’s voice cut cleanly through the group.
“How long have you been standing there?” Whitaker asked cautiously.
“Long enough,” Robby said dryly, unimpressed. “Get back to work.”
There was a collective shuffle as they all tried to look busy again, though not without a few lingering looks and barely-contained smirks. Robby shook his head, turning away and nearly walked straight into Dana.
She was leaning against the counter behind him, arms crossed, a knowing grin already in place.
“So,” she said lightly, “You heard it too?”
Dana’s grin only widened.
Robby dragged a hand over his face.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “Fun.”
“Maybe we should get a secret bet going, what do you think?”
Dana’s grin lingered but her attention shifted past Robby, over his shoulder. Someone had caught her eye.
Dana tilted her head toward the far end of the nurses’ station.
You stood there, back partially turned, a chart in your hands but not really looking at it. Someone approached you. A guy, about your age, easy in his stride, holding two takeaway cups. He said something as he stepped up beside you, offering one over. From where they stood, they couldn’t hear the words but they saw enough.
Santos leaned in again, eyes widening. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Whitaker let out a quiet breath. “That’s… new.”
Javadi’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that the same guy from the other day?”
Dana’s smile sharpened, interest fully piqued now. “Well, this just got better.”
Robby, on the other hand, just sighed.
You picked up a chart something to hold, something to focus on but the words blurred almost instantly. You weren’t reading it. You couldn’t. Because your mind wouldn’t stop as images flickered in sharp bursts.
Mohan standing too close to Jack. Her brushing against him like it was nothing. Mohan laughing softly at something he said. The way she looked at him. The way he had smiled earlier. That same smile. The one he used to give you. On night shifts. On the rooftop. Across dimly lit rooms over bad coffee and shared food and stupid card games that somehow mattered more than they should have. Before everything got complicated. Before this.
Your grip tightened slightly around the edge of the chart, paper bending faintly under your fingers. You forced yourself to breathe. Focus.
You looked up. Your friend stood in front of you, holding out two takeaway cups, each lid marked with a clumsy black-marker smiley face.
“Figured you could use a break,” he said, offering one toward you.
You blinked, momentarily thrown off. “You didn’t have to—”
“Yeah, I did,” he said, small grin tugging at his mouth. You took the cup. Your fingers brushed briefly against his. You managed a smile in return. It didn’t quite reach your eyes. He noticed. The grin softened almost instantly, his expression shifting into concern.
You nodded automatically. “Yeah. Just… busy.”
The answer came too quickly. He didn’t buy it. His hand lifted, resting gently against your arm.
“Hey,” he said, voice softer now. “Talk to me.”
From across the room, Jack saw it.
At first, it was just movement your figure at the nurses’ station, familiar even in his periphery but then his focus sharpened. The guy standing close to you. The coffee in your hand and the way you leaned in just slightly. Then, the hand on your arm. Something in his chest tightened. Fast. Sharp. Uncomfortable.
You said something he couldn’t hear it but your expression softened in a way he hadn’t seen since before. Before all of this. Before the distance. Before the tension. Before Mohan. Something in him snapped. His grip on the counter tightened, fingers digging in hard enough to turn his knuckle pale. He turned completely to face you and the metal tray beside him rattled loudly as it slid across the surface. The sharp noise cut through the room. A nurse glanced over. Jack didn’t notice. He didn’t care. His eyes were locked on you. On that hand, still resting on your arm like it belonged there. Like he didn’t.
“Oh,” Santos whispered, her voice somewhere between delight and disbelief.
Whitaker didn’t even try to look busy this time. His gaze flicked between Jack and you. “Yeah… that’s bad.”
Dana folded her arms slowly, watching Jack with open interest. “He’s losing it.”
Robby exhaled through his nose, already tired of where this was heading.
Mohan saw it too. Every second of it.
The way Jack had gone completely still across the room. The way his attention locked onto you. No hesitation, no attempt to hide it. The way his expression shifted, something raw and unguarded breaking through whatever control he usually kept so tightly in place.
Because that look that wasn’t casual. That wasn’t nothing. That was something else entirely. Something she hadn’t accounted for. Still, she moved and stepped toward him, weaving past a trolley, her voice soft and careful.
He didn’t respond. Didn’t even look at her. His jaw was tight, his focus still fixed somewhere across the department, on you, on the moment that hadn’t quite let him go yet. Mohan closed the distance anyway.
“Hey,” she tried again, gentler this time, reaching out slightly not quite touching him but close enough to. “It’s been a long shift, maybe we could just—”
The words came out sharp. Cutting clean through whatever she had wanted to say. She blinked, caught off guard.
Jack finally looked at her but not really. His expression was tight, frustrated, somewhere between anger and something he didn’t want to name. He shook his head once, like he was trying to shake off the entire situation.
“Just,” he sighed, “Not now.” he added, stepping back, putting space between them before she could try again.
Mohan stood there for a second, slightly stunned. That wasn’t what she expected. Not from him. Not after earlier. She watched as he turned and walked away. She exhaled slowly and decided to follow him.
Robby’s voice came from just beside her. He had stepped in quietly, positioning himself just enough between her and the direction Jack had gone.
Mohan frowned slightly. “I was just—”
“Yeah,” Robby cut in, not harsh, but firm enough to stop her. “I know.”
He glanced after Jack, who was already halfway down the corridor.
“Just give him a minute.”
Mohan followed his gaze, watching Jack disappear further down the hall. Then, she looked back at Robby.
“Right,” she said quietly.
“I’ll go,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
With that, he headed after Jack picking up his pace slightly, trying to catch up before the distance between them grew even bigger.
A/N ~ If you would like to be added to the taglist, let me know ✨
