Chapter Seventeen

By the time that Ebony had arrived back at the Mall she found that she was too late, Ruby was already there.

"What the hell are you doing here you no good little bitch?" Ebony yelled at her going to hit her once again but before she could do anything she felt a familiar pair of arms close around her and a familiar voice whisper in her ear, "I am going to let you go in a moment but if you even think about touching her you'll find yourself across my knees so fast that it will make your head spin".

Ebony's heart stopped beating for a second as she heard that voice again, "Slade?" She gasped turning around to see him once he let her go, every thought of Ruby vanished as she saw him.

"What are you doing here? Why are you …" She trailed off upon seeing his sexy smile.

"Lex and I have got on well for awhile so when Liberty burned down I came here, I had to bring Ruby too. I had to see you again Ebony", he explained.

"So you know that I was taken by the slave traders?" Ebony asked, and then added, "Why did you have to see me? You left me if you remember", the anger rising up in her voice.

"I know babe, I know. Look the truth is that just because you were not honest with me and don't want our relationship to work it doesn't mean that I just stopped loving you. Hell I would have been at that auction but I was a little busy kicking the guys ass who took you, and then liberty burned down so there wasn't time. But I knew that Lex would get you out of there", Slade tried to explain to her.

"What?" Ebony hissed, "How dare you say that I was the one who destroyed our relationship, you had just as bigger part in it".

Slade winced slightly knowing how mad she was but also being slightly happy about it, this was the sexy woman that he had first fallen for but he knew that he had to explain what he had meant to her, "I didn't mean that. I am at fault too, I shouldn't have thought that you would tell me when you were ready and I shouldn't have reacted so badly to you attacking Ruby. Ebony there are still as things that prevent a romantic relationship between us once again but that doesn't mean that I'm not your friend. I love you Ebony".

Ebony couldn't help but gulp, he had never said that to her in that way before, "So where does this leave us?" Ebony asked.

"Very good friends", Slade smiled wrapping his arm around her waist, "and maybe more one day".

At that moment Ruby was tired of watching them and thought that they were getting far too close and so coughed loudly.

"Would you really do that if I killed her?" Ebony asked.

"No, of course not but it stopped you going after her", Slade said with a sweet smile.

"It was seeing you that did that, not the threat", Ebony smirked, but before she could go after her Lex and Amber walked into the café where they were standing.

"Hello Slade", Amber interrupted, "Lex told us that you and Ruby would be staying, well welcome to the Tribe", she said dispensing with all of the formalities. No sooner had she done this than the entire tribe turned up and all decided that they loved Ruby and Slade and that they were going to have a party.

"Great", Ebony muttered as she rolled her eyes and walked up to her room, glad that she had decided not to share with Lex.

She felt peaceful in a way to have seen Slade again and to know that he did not hate her but she just could not shake the need to tell Slade the truth, about what had happened between her and Lex did not seem as bad as before and she needed to tell Slade the truth.

"Penny for your thoughts", came Slade's voice from his place in the open doorway.

"Come in and close the door and I will tell you my thoughts without the penny", Ebony said, as she moved over on the bed to give him room to sit down.

"Go ahead", he said as he sat down next to her and wrapped one arm around her.

"I was never honest with you. The reason that I left the city was because I was humiliated, I loved Lex and then one night I saw him sleeping with another woman. I wrote him a note to make it sound like I had just decided to leave, I didn't want anyone to know about it, I was just too humiliated, it made me feel like I wasn't worth anyone's love, that was why I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I know that if I had then we would probably still be together now", Ebony explain, she didn't know how he was going to react but hoped that he would not be too bad.

"I bet it feels good to have that off your chest", Slade said.

"Yeah, I have to admit that it does", Ebony smiled up at him slightly.

"Maybe we would have been together still had you told the truth, however, if I had been different then maybe we would not have broken up. All that I ever wanted was honesty which I what we both now have. Where we go next is up to you but know that I will always be your friend and that I will beat the crap out of Lex", he added.

Ebony thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. I feel all lustful for Lex but that is just as much because I want him to want me and only me as he cheated on me before, but on the other hand I know that I really do love you. I just feel so peaceful with you near me".

"Well then how about you have both of us until you decide which one you want the most, and I assure you that it will be me", Slade said pressing his lips against hers.

"Okay", Ebony moaned into his embrace.

The next morning Ebony woke up feeling amazing, every part of her was tingling with amazing sensations that she had never felt before. The night before had been the best one, that she had ever shared with Slade - or with any other man for that matter. She felt so open and relaxed.

"How was it?" Slade asked her upon waking up a few seconds after her.

"Perfect", she assured him, "you know I have half a mind to tell Lex that everything is off this after noon".

"Why not this morning and only half a mind?"

"I'm not completely decided yet and I have plans for you this morning", she giggled as she kissed him.