The eyes, Chico, they never lie.

CHAPTER 28: Sharing a room

Yuri's POV:

While uncle Johnny and Ash were talking to the hotel staff, others left and Kat, Matthew, aunt Rosa, Mr and Mrs Patterson, and I stayed seated on the couches, waiting for them to come back.

Aunt Kacy was sitting with Kat and catching up to her but after Kat got busy with Matt, she moved and sat next to me. "Hey, hon. How've you been?" she asked, nudging my shoulder with her own.

"Good," I chuckled, nodding. "You?"

"Good," she replied, smiling. "Oh, it's been so long since I saw you all. How long has it been now? Six years?"

"The last time I met you was five years ago, when I came to Kat's house for her birthday party."

"Oh, that's right, that's right. And? What have you been up to? I heard our Ree is an author now."

I nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"I bought a coру. It's an indian story."

I paled, staring at her. "You just bought it, right? You didn't read it?"

She eyed me and then nodded, with  disappointment. "Ree."

"Hmm," I knew where this  conversation was going.

"There's so much love between the main leads in that book!" she whisper-yelled.

I fake smiled.

She patted my shoulder . "Don't worry! I liked it."

"Thank you," I mumbled, glancing at my shoes.

"Who's it about?"

I turned to her. "Hmm?"

"It's clearly about someone. The boy."

"The boy," I repeated, dubiously. "Ahaan Singh Chandravanshi?"

"Hmm. He's Ahaan Singh Chandravanshi in that book. Who is he in real life?"

"What do you mean?"

She glanced at the front desk and at Ash, pointedly.

I followed her gaze and then looked back at her. "What?"

"It seemed like him."

"What?" I laughed.

"I remember him too, Ree. I know who and exactly what he is to you. It seemed like you were writing about him," she whispered softly.

"Why? There's nothing similar about Ahaan and Ash."

She nodded slowly and then dropped the subject but didn't change it to anything better. "What's wrong with you two? Why so distant?"

I watched her for a moment and to be honest, I was surprised she doesn't know the reason behind our fall out. I half expected her to since everybody else knew. But everybody else met us during the holidays, unlike aunt Kacy who dropped in every few years and then disappeared for a few more. "Aunt Kacy..."

"Kacy." We both looked ahead at where Uncle and Ash stood. Uncle gestured for Ash to explain.

He looked from him to me to aunt Kacy.

"Um, they said that since a couple is already staying in the room that was booked for you, they're sorry but they can't get you that room.
The other rooms here are already occupied, so they can't give you those either."

"God, is there something they can do for me?" aunt Kacy groaned, leaning back into the couch.

"Yes, actually. They can either book a hotel for you and take care of all the costs..."