Pack Secrets || WLW

On Her Radar

 It's a skinny man, a little taller than me but a lot shorter than June with tan skin and painted black nails. An earring dangles from one of his ears as he pulls June into a bear hug.

"What's up, Walker?" His enthusiasm is muffled by her shoulder.

"Ari." June tries to fake his enthusiasm back but her voice shakes. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugs when he pulls away from her embrace. "Oh, you know. Just wanted to see how my best bud is doing." He punches her in the shoulder and starts toward the living room.

Up until now, it's as if he hadn't noticed me here. He stops walking when he sees me, his eyes glinting orange through the brown. "You have company." He sizes me up, but not in the way most men would. No, his eyes don't linger on my chest or hips. They dart around my face like he's trying to get a reading on me without asking me about myself.

June joins us in the living room. "Yeah. She's, uh, not from here." She's scratching the back of her head as she moves and slumps into the sofa.

Ari rolls his eyes and hops so he's sitting on the arm of the chair across from us, his shoes planted on the cushion. "Don't try to lie to me, Walker."

"Please, man." June rubs her forehead. "Can you get your goddamn shoes off my mother's armchair?"

Ari does as he's told, dropping down to sit in the chair where his feet were before. "She around?" He's looking over his shoulder, as if Mrs. Walker will materialize any second.

"No." June's jaw is set. "She's dead."

"Right." Ari waves her off. "I knew that." He runs a hand through his brown hair while looking at himself in the reflection of the tv. "Anyway, I know who the Harrisons are." His eyes shoot to me and I realize I'm the only one still standing. "You're Sawyer, correct?"

I sit on the sofa next to June, aware of my leg pressed against hers. The warmth comforts me. Forcing a smile, I nod. "Nice to meet you."

Ari's eyes light up as a devious smile pulls at his lips. "Interesting." He extends the vowels in the word like he's singing it. "Thee June Walker with a rejected Harrison girl."

"Enough, Ari." June leans forward, her eyes boring into her guest.

"You mean you haven't told her?" Ari's excitement is palpable.

"No."

Ari waves her concern off. "I'll void the memories when I leave."

June stands now, her hands clenched into fists. "You won't touch her."

Ari holds his hands up in surrender. "Stand down, attack dog." He smirks at their inside joke. Or, at least, what he thinks is an inside joke.

June forces her jaw to unclench. "What are you doing here, man?" she asks again.

Ari pushes to his feet and paces the room. "I'm here about Ricky."

Dread spreads through my chest. How does he know about Ricky? I want to look at June for comfort but I can't. Not right now. Not while Ari is watching our every move.

June's a better actress than I am. Her movements are relaxed enough. "You finally going to take him in for questioning?"

Ari's eyes are analyzing every movement June makes. I don't know how she's not sweating under the intensity of his gaze. Holding his arms behind his back, he says, "There's reason to believe something has happened to him."

June raises an eyebrow at Ari. "Really?"

Ari nods and glances at me briefly. "Someone very close to him has mentioned a feeling of distress."