ashley!!

“I'm broken. I like to break things. Sometimes I want to break you.'

'Then break me, Jacks.'

His fingers tensed against her neck. 'For once I want to do the right thing. I can't do this. I can't watch you die again.'

The word again scraped against her like a thorn. 'What do you mean, again?'

'You died, Evangeline.' Jacks pulled her closer until she could feel the ragged rise and fall of his chest as he rasped. 'I held you in my arms as it happened.'

'Jacks... I don't know what you're talking about. I never died.'

'Yes, you did. The night you opened the Valory. The first time you did it, I didn't go with you.' He went silent for a moment and then she heard him think, I couldn't say goodbye.

'It was only you and Chaos,' he whispered. 'As soon as his helm was off, he killed you. I tried to stop him- I tried to save you- but-'

Jacks opened and shut his mouth as if he could barely get the words out. 'I couldn't. When I got there, he had already bitten you- and he'd already taken too much blood. You died as soon as you were in my arms. The only thing I could do was use the stones to turn back time. I was warned that it would cost me something. But I thought it would cost me. I didn't imagine it would take from you.'

I'm sorry, he thought.

'You don't need to be sorry, Jacks.'

'It's my fault,' he gritted out.

'No, it's not. I didn't lose my memories because you turned back time. I lost them because Apollo took them from me.'

Jacks looked murderous for a second. Then just as quickly he shook off her words. 'It doesn't matter. What matters is that you died. And if you die again, I cannot bring you back.'

'So you'd rather live without me?'

'I'd rather you live.'

'I am living, Jacks, and I am not going to die anytime soon.' Evangeline closed her eyes and then she kissed him.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love