The Forum by Marie Reyes (short books for teens .txt) 📕

said Martin. "I didn't mention anyone else being involved and I don't want to spook her."

"What if it's a trap?" Piper asked. After she had left her children behind, Martin was the closest thing she had to family, and she wasn't about to let anything bad happen to him.

"If that is the case, all the more reason for me to stay separate from you. Just sit in the corner. I'll be fine. If she is going to trust someone, it's going to be me." Martin took a seat in the middle of the bar and the others sat at the back. Far enough away to not attract attention, but close enough to reassure him. He ordered himself a craft beer and waited.

Every time someone entered the bar, his heart skipped a beat. It differed from his usual brand of anxiety. Some things made him anxious in a way that made him feel like he couldn't carry on, but certain things were different, like when he went abseiling. The fear felt like it had a purpose, like it would lead to something that would change him for the better.

His chest tightened when she walked in. Her eyes scanned the bar, and she looked even more scared than earlier. It must have taken courage to come and meet a stranger. For all she knew, he could be a predator. He wondered how old she was as she didn't even look like she was of legal drinking age.

Their eyes met, and she took a deep breath before approaching, sliding into the seat opposite him. "Thank you for coming," he said, looking at the other customers, hoping they didn't think he was the kind of guy that tried to take advantage of younger women.

"I'll be quick." She looked around, still clearly nervous, paranoid even. "Please tell me why you were trying to find Connor."

Martin thought about it, unsure how much he should divulge. "I have reason to believe, he may have hurt someone."

"A woman?" she asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Listen, I'm worried about a particular woman. Do I have reason to be worried?"

"I think there is something wrong with him." Her face looked pained as she forced the words out. He didn't push her, just remained silent, hoping she would elaborate if he kept quiet.

"It feels wrong, telling these things to a stranger. Promise me this won't come back on me."

"I promise. I swear." He tried to sound as convincing as he could. He needed her trust more than anything.

"I hate him. Ever since my mother married his father. He's a fucking creep. One day, my mom made me tidy his room. It's a shit hole."

"You live with him?"

"I know right. He's in his thirties and he won't move out. She does everything for him, like his little slave. She bribed me to clean up his room while he was out once, and I found some of my underwear under his mattress. It's fucking sick. I can't believe I have to be under the same roof as that freak. I've seen his internet history. It's creepy as fuck. He stares at me all the time. It's so obvious and they just don't see it."

"That must be awful." Martin felt a little sick and had no doubt he was their guy. "Can you go into a bit more detail about the websites he visits?"

She clearly looked embarrassed but forged on. "A lot, I mean A LOT, of porn. Then there's these forums and stuff. There's this one where they just demonize women, like blame them for literally everything. One of them is supposed to be a place where guys go to get away from women, to be independent from them. It is for people to get out of the dating game and find other interests, yet almost every post is just them hating on women. Some of it isn't so bad, but some of it is really twisted.

Martin nodded. This was their guy, for sure. It was almost a relief. They weren't mad. They might be able to actually do something after all. "Do you have somewhere to go? A friend? Somewhere safe?"

"What? Why? What the hell did he do?" The poor girl looked terrified.

He took a deep breath and unlocked his cell phone. He pulled up the video and scrolled through to the moment where he stepped right up to the camera. "I know it's not much to go on, but do you think this is him?" He held the phone up in front of her.

"Yes. That is him. Without a doubt. When he stares at me, I... That's him. I need to get out of there." Her skin seemed to change color right before his eyes, and it looked like she might vomit any second. "What's on the video?" she asked apprehensively, as if she didn't really want to know.

"It's not good," was all he could bring himself to say, not wanting to traumatize her. He could only imagine what it must feel like to be trapped like that, to have a person like that in your own home.

"I can't believe I left my best friend with him." She shook her head.

"Do you have any other information? We've tried contacting the police, but they don't take us seriously."

"Us?" She raised her voice.

"Let's just say he made a few enemies."

"Good. He deserves it."

"Do you know anywhere he might go?"

"He does disappear a lot, not that he has anywhere to go. Most of his old friends don't want to know him anymore. I have no idea where he goes though."

This only made him surer they had their guy. "Will you be going home?"

"For a little while, just while I wait. I'm going to get my friend to pick me up from mine."

"Do you think, you could check his