he liked to keep his woman looking nice and tried to pay her phone bill but she turned him down twice even though her life wasn t sunny she felt him she didn t know him well enough to take his money instead she recommended quiet dinner maybe next weekend and she could find a babysitter her daughter was three and she was twenty one with dreams of marriage and having a son but most times she felt like she d never find love so she drank away the pain in blood stained night clubs and when home with men that acted like thugs addicted to the night life like drugs but regrets of the morning after always caught her waking up with men unfamiliar to her daughter even though they gave her an escape from lonely days she never felt better than when they parted ways oh there s no excuse for loving nothing special she thought when his path crossed her mind he could never be the one just occupy her time and fill the lonely days that d become so basic since her heart was torn from the broken off engagement two years ago and three states away but by the look in her brown eyes you would ve thought it happened yesterday now this new with intention to impress bought her tennis shoes and a brand new summer dress if you could see the smile on her face and how it washed away the work week s bitter taste plus this was the week of her born day the sun ray in a life of all work and no play he said he wanted her to spend it with him but she said she d already committed to her friends he denied her invitation to come along and told her to call when she got home oh there s no excuse for loving she pulled into the parking lot startled when she saw him standing right behind her in the dark demanding she tell him who she slept with today smelling the liquor on his breath she began to walk away he grabbed her by throat yanked off the gold chain and almost smiled satisfied at her pain he though of this her reward for being unfaithful lifted from her feet tears roll down her cheek and terrified she closed her eyes while the storm made it impossible to hear her cries he knew this and struck with a clenched fist and told her he wasn t stupid she s now pinned to the ground with his hand on her mouth to muffle the sounds knee planted in her chest until breathing hurt he said she forced him to take back his tennis skirt much stronger she offered very little resistance to him taking back the clothes that he d given then he cocked back his fist for one last blow and left her in the parking lot knocked out cold