Amanda thumbed through her mail and afterwards went and took a hot shower and washed her hair. She couldn't believe how much it had grown. She wanted to cut it so badly because it was easier to handle when it was shorter, but Derrick begged her not to. She hoped when Derrick called she would be able to hear the phone ring. He promised to call her when he was on his way to her house. She didn't expect him until 8:00. Normally the apartment was very quiet, but whenever she was exhausted she would sleep very hard and a freight train could be coming through her room and she wouldn't hear it. Amanda wrapped her hair up in a towel and put on her favorite white oversized fluffy terry cloth bathrobe. The kettle was whistling loud piercing her ears, reminding her to make her tea. She made a large cup of tea using two of the herbal mint tea bags. The mint tea was refreshing, and it helped her to relax. She took the tea with her to her bedroom to watch the news while she sipped on the tea to calm her tattered nerves. She picked up her Bible from her kitchen table to read after she'd finished watching the news. She always liked to read her Bible before she went to sleep. It was the first thing she did in the morning, before she left for work and the last thing she did at night. "Hey baby! I wondered when you were coming in here. I thought I was going to have to come in there to get you." Amanda gasped and screamed. She jumped back scalding her arms with half of the tea and dropping the cup she held in her hands. There he was stretched out across her bed as though it was his own! "Nile what are you doing here? How did you get in?" He smiled wickedly. "You should've gotten a better lock for your door. It was so easy for me to get in." "You broke into my house? Are you crazy?" she yelled. He jumped up and grabbed her by the arm. She slapped him as hard as she could and snatched away from him. "I want you out of my house right now or I will call the police!" "Awww! Come on baby! Now you know you don't mean that." "Oh, I don't? You just watch me!" She stormed into the kitchen to get her cordless phone. He trailed behind her to stop her. He grabbed her arm and snatched the phone out of her hands in anger smashing it to the floor. He slapped her so hard her ears began to ring, and her nose started bleeding. He grabbed her neck and began to choke her as he blurted out obscenities to her. She struggled to breathe as she viciously fought to get out of his clutches. She was near her stove and managed to reach behind her for the hot tea kettle and slammed it on his back emptying the kettle of its content on his naked body. He screamed, falling to his knees and immediately released her. She had no time to think, only to react quickly before he grabbed her again. Amanda staggered to the counter gasping for air when she saw the set of kitchen knives she'd received from her mother as a housewarming gift. She grabbed the middle knife quickly. It was the biggest and the sharpest one of all. Nile had her now by the ankle and tried to stop her before she got hold of the knives, but it was too late. She said to herself, it's either going to be me or him tonight and if it's me Lord I'm not going to die without a fight! She didn't realize just how much strength she had and at that moment she was absolutely fearless. She reared back and came down as hard as she could on his arm his face and his chest repeatedly screaming to the top of her lungs.