You Hit My Heart by Kylie Stanford

Chapter 2086: Do You Understand Love?

On the cliff, behind a large rock.

Joyce leaned against the stone, trying to sleep but not daring to fully fall asleep. If she slept too deeply, she would lose consciousness, and any accidental exposure of her body or head could mean instant death. She only dared to close her eyes and rest.

From time to time, she called out to Clint to remind him not to fall asleep.

"Hey," Joyce called out. When Clint didn't answer, she raised her voice and called again, "Hey!"

"I have a name," Clint finally responded. "I'm not asleep. Call me by my name, call me Clint."

He wished she would call him like she used to.

Joyce ignored him. "If you're not asleep, why didn't you respond? Sniping is about endurance; hang in there. If you want to die, wait until this is over and undo the curse for me before you do."

Clint remained silent.

She truly didn't give him any kindness.

"You're a sharpshooter. Do you understand long-distance sniping as well?" Clint tried to engage her in conversation. He was genuinely tired; after all, he had been shot, losing blood and energy.

"I didn't before, but I learned a lot from my mother later on," Joyce answered softly. She could tell from his voice that the bleeding had stopped.

"Being born into a military family makes you different. Joyce, you're unlike any woman I've ever known," Clint said softly, his voice carried by the wind.

shooting, the training process was grueling. No matter how sad or repressed I felt inside, I had no one to release my stress or

turned his gaze towards Joyce. He could feel her

hearing it from her own mouth made the weight of it real. She had endured so much pain;

why I saved you? When I saw you floating on the sea back then, I remembered when I fell off a cliff into the ocean-vast and endless, with no end in sight, deep and unknown, not knowing life or death or future. That feeling of helplessness and confusion-I experienced it. I was rescued and survived. That's why I saved you. Had I known you were deliberately floating there to lure me in, I

Joyce spoke to herself.

silent; so that's how

no family or support. That's why I took you in. You took advantage of my soft heart and played me like a puppet."

took all my effort for her to finally call me 'Mommy.' We had only reunited for a few months. Do you know that I've only been reunited with my parents for less than a year? I've never even had the chance to

But you've ruined everything. You kidnapped me to a foreign land with no family around; I can't

me, you even

using unheard-of dark magic."

toughest opponent I've ever faced-I can't kill you nor escape

took a deep breath. "Forget what

she had told him all this-perhaps because time passed too slowly and

quietly listened as she spoke about things he hadn't known before-details he couldn't have found in any information he dug up about her-and realized how tough her journey had been behind her

in her voice-a hoarseness and pauses-so

away and tried hard to breathe

tears from the corners of her eyes-tears

about how you'll deal with me once we get

really want to

Do you think I'm

for kinship? You're just a lunatic," Joyce sneered coldly. "Now that

This is all your