The Age of The Masrui

"I uh... I'll be outside. When - when we can be alone.." Cleo whispered, stepping out of the room once again and closing the door behind herself. Sitting herself down on the floor opposite the room and pulling her knees to her chest.

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"I'm sure he will, let's not even entertain the possibility that he won't."

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"He is alive, we need to focus on the fact he is alive." Ronan stressed, though tugged at his hair.

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"Your like the villain locking me away in the damn tower!" Sienna yelled.

“You just told us someone was following you and you don’t see why we don’t let you go to these things?!”

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Bella eventually came out a few minutes later, heading back into the waiting room.

“How is he?” Dane asked quietly.

“In pain, a lot of pain. But he’ll be okay... mentally anyway. The leg looks awful.”

---

“Caspar text whilst he was upstairs, he’s flying over in the morning wants to help support Bella and Ronan.”

As soon as Bella stepped out of the room, Cleo stepped inside; walking to Rhys side and slipping an arm around to hug him. Whispering quietly, "Waiting has been killing me, she was in here ages."

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"He is alive, that's all that matters." Ronan repeated quietly.

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Dorian nodded.

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"If you weren't so crazy I would of even knew I was being followed, I thought it was one of your people!"

"Ah, ah. Voices are raising again, we'll wake the boys and the baby up again; keep it down." Marlowe frowned.

“If I was having you followed I wouldn’t be so shocked about you being out would I?” Maddox hissed, shaking his head. “Get to bed. In the morning we’ll continue this further.”

---

“His manager text, wants an update on his progress.” Dane murmured.

“Not yet... Rhys needs to be ready first because as soon as his manager knows he’ll go straight to the press.”

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“She was just being fussy.” Rhys said tiredly, hugging her back.

"Just ignore the text, he doesn't even have to know we got it. You an say your mobile phone died and we haven't got access to a charger."

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"Stealing all the time with you whilst your awake." Cleo mumbled, almost jealously. Closing her eyes and swallowing thickly when he hugged her back.

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"Yes, because I've managed to slip the guy every time so you wouldn't of known." Sienna hissed before going into her room, slamming the door closed behind herself.

Marlowe sighed.

“She’s becoming far too unruly.” Maddox muttered, heading back to their room.

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Bella took Ronan’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Whilst we’re here might be worth getting a nurse to look at your hand? Make sure I got all the glass out and dressed it properly? Wouldn’t want you getting an infection.”

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“I’ll be awake for as long as you’re here.” Rhys assured.

"No, no I'm fine." Ronan shook his head. "I want to see Rhys first anyway, where is Cleo? She left after you, so she's been with him ages now. Everyone else needs to see him."

---

Cleo shook her head, laying down beside him on the bed and resting her head on his chest - slipping an arm around his waist gently.

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Marlowe followed him, "She is being a teenager - terrible behaviour, I'm not saying its okay but.. sneaking out, going to parties. The fact she is so steaming and she still said no to drugs though, that's good - that's a parenting win. I - I can't believe someone is following her."

“She’s turning into Karsi except Karsi was doing heavy shit already with Louis at that age.” Maddox sighed. “As for the following... you believe her?”

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“She didn’t want to be in there with me, she wanted to be alone with him, she went in after I left.”

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“What’s up with you?” Rhys asked with a small frown, brushing the hair from her face.

"Why would she lie? That- that seemed genuine, Mads." Marlowe frowned. "She looked spooked when we told her we hadn't gotten anyone to keep an eye on her."

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"Mm, weird." Ronan mumbled. "Well, let's hope she isn't long."

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"You could of died..."

“I didn’t. I’m alive, I’m here, helmets work.” Rhys chuckled, giving her a small squeeze. “I’m okay, I’ll be fine.”

---

Dane left the room, murmuring something about coffee.

“Have you checked in with Dorian and Rena for Esme?”

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“Take her phone, put a tracker on it. She doesn’t leave the house without security either... security with a family and kids to make sure we don’t have an Astrid/Dorian situation because that only compromises things.”

"No, I have been here worrying about Rhys just like you have been Bella." Ronan answered in irritation, getting to his feet and beginning to pace. "I don't even know what the fucking time is to be honest. I've not even thought about it."

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"Your all I have that makes me safe. Anything happened to you, I'd have to go home and that'd just be a one way road back to him... or someone similar to him." Cleo mumbled shakily. "You can't ever die... need you too much."

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Marlowe nodded, sitting herself down on the bed with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Oh, we should phone Grayson's mother... shouldn't we? Let her know he is safe, wouldn't want her waking up and finding him gone."

“I’ll text Grace, it’s fine. Did you get the baby back down okay?”

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Bella flinched at his tone, pulling her own phone out to contact her sister then, not daring to speak.

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“I’m not going to die.” Rhys frowned. “Cleo... where’s this coming from?”

"Mm, I did. She never takes too long the second or third time in a night, only ever the initial bit that takes awhile isn't it?" Marlowe whispered, laying down beneath the covers and reaching a hand out for his. "Are you okay?"

---

"I called my dad, when you were in surgery.. before everyone else got here and your dad was getting coffee because I was in a waiting room alone and he was pissed at me. Screamed at me for not calling much, said he'd hope you'd die so I'd come home and then he'd make me regret leaving. Just needed him to say it was going to be okay, and he didn't a- and I'm alone, aren't I? All I have is you and that's terrifying."

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"You always forget other people are shit scared when it comes to Rhys getting hurt." Ronan muttered, more frustrated that she didn't respond. Wandering out of the waiting room without another word.

“I’m just angry at Sienna... furious.”

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“You’re not alone. You have my family. My mother loves you, you’re great with my sister. You’re important to me - us.”

Cleo shook her head, closing her eyes as she tightened her arms around him a little bit. "I - I'm just glad your okay."

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"I know. I am too."

“She could get herself seriously hurt.”

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“I’ll be fine Cleo, honestly. I’m okay.”

"I know, I know." Cleo whispered, blinking her eyes open when she heard Ronan knock on the door before entering; wrinkling her nose in irritation as he sat himself up.

"Hey kid, your aunt Serena was about to open champagne back in the house- you ruined a good drinking night." Ronan greeted, an attempt of light-heartedness as he stepped inside.

"I'm going to go..." Cleo mumbled, kissing Rhys' forehead before heading out of the room.

Ronan frowned. "You've got two women in your life now that want to smother you when you are ill, lucky you."

---

"We're going to take steps to prevent that," Marlowe whispered. "Like you suggest; phone tracking, extra security. We've been lucky that Grayson didn't crash on the way home."

“Wasn’t me, was the other driver.” Rhys laughed, pushing himself up off the bed so he was sitting up. “I still won, right? They’ve not disqualified me. I’m the champ still. Worth celebrating.”

---

“He’s been a bad influence on her, he can stay away for a while.”

"She isn't going to be seeing anyone for a month anyway, she'll be here and at school and that is going to be it."

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Cleo sat herself down back into the waiting room.

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"I wish," Ronan snorted. "I doubt your mother will allow that."

“I’m damn celebrating, I won.” Rhys laughed. “I’ll be back out and training soon anyway, doctors have no clue what they’re talking about. We bounce back fast.”

---

“Is he okay?” Bella asked quietly.

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“She’ll push back.”

"Don't know, didn't really get that long in there." Cleo answered quietly, pulling her knees up to hug them to her chest.

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"And we'll keep her in line, like we always do." Marlowe assured, tangling her fingers in his hair. "We're a good team, my love. We can handle a fifteen year old girl."

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"I think you need to be realistic, Rhys." Ronan frowned. "They think a year at least, even that I feel is going to be with your rushing yourself. Take it slow."

“A year? Fuck that Ronan, I’m not staying out over a year. You know how hard I worked to get this far.” Rhys shook his head. “A year out will ruin my career.”

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“You’ll get plenty of time to fuss over him when we get him home.”

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“She’s been sneaking out without our knowledge. We’re very clearly not handling this.”

"It will delay your career, not ruin it and you have forever Rhys. Pop that pill any day now to get you the rest of eternity, stop those wrinkles before they happen and then you are limitless when it comes to time. Your health is more important then a race track. Ask any of them sat in that waiting room, we'll all agree on that."

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"Will I?" Cleo mumbled. "Feel like the outsider in this situation. 'Just the girlfriend'."

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"We are now. We taught her to be confident, independent and smart - her being able to speak out for so long without us seeing is unfortunately the bad side to those traits but we know what is going on now and we can stop it. It has slowly been getting rockier with See, just who she is and this is going to be the roughest few years for us - but ita normal, she is a teenager. I started sneaking out at thirteen, least she was two years later than me. I would of been a terror had I still had my parents, I know that for a fact. Between my blood and Levi blood we are in for a rocky few years until she gets to adulthood."

"It will delay your career, not ruin it and you have forever Rhys. Pop that pill any day now to get you the rest of eternity, stop those wrinkles before they happen and then you are limitless when it comes to time. Your health is more important then a race track. Ask any of them sat in that waiting room, we'll all agree on that."

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"Will I?" Cleo mumbled. "Feel like the outsider in this situation. 'Just the girlfriend'."

---

"We are now. We taught her to be confident, independent and smart - her being able to speak out for so long without us seeing is unfortunately the bad side to those traits but we know what is going on now and we can stop it. It has slowly been getting rockier with See, just who she is and this is going to be the roughest few years for us - but ita normal, she is a teenager. I started sneaking out at thirteen, least she was two years later than me. I would of been a terror had I still had my parents, I know that for a fact. Between my blood and Levi blood we are in for a rocky few years until she gets to adulthood."

“Wait you’re supporting the stupid doctors ‘rest’ bullshit? It’s taken me years to claw it back after I took a year out last time. I’m not doing it again!” Rhys whined, clearly upset.

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“You’re his girlfriend but when have we ever treated you as ‘just the girlfriend’ Cleo?”

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“There’s rocky and then there’s mountain climbing.” Maddox sighed deeply.