Page 50 of Until He Scores

Shame washed over me. Of course, Lily-Mae would help Pope. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem. Anyway, your phone has been buzzing and ringing since I plugged your device in. So, I turned it off. I’m sure the team wants to know how you’re doing, but I have a sneaky suspicion it’s him blowing up your phone.”

Pope was right. “I’m not with him.” That felt good to say. “After he accused me of abusing him, I have kept my distance.” I saw the questions swirling in Pope’s obsidian eyes. “I haven’t slept with him either.”

“So, why did he come back?” There wasn’t an ounce of accusation in Pope’s question.

“He got cheated on,” I said. “He’s been up my ass. It’s like he knows where I’m at all the time. I think someone on the team is sending him my location.”

Pope got this thoughtful look on his face. “Can I see your phone for a minute? I want to check something out.”

I motioned to the rolling table at my side. “Not like I’ve used it yet. Be my guest.”

“Great. I have this friend,” Pope said, grabbing my phone before opening his. “He’s good at figuring this kind of stuff out. He’s kind of in the stalker business. Hacking mostly. You didn’t hear that from me.”

I honestly didn’t want to know either.

“Troy,” Pope said after putting his device to his ear, “yeah man, it’s been a good minute. Look, I need your help. A friend is in a situation. I think his ex is stalking him. Person’s beenshowing up everywhere and won’t leave him alone. If I put you on video, can you walk me through cleaning his phone?”

Pope hit a button on the screen. “No problem, man. Whoa are you in the hospital?”

“Yes,” Pope said, turning my phone toward me to unlock it with facial recognition. The minute the device opened messages and phone call notifications started going off. “Not the point man.”

“That must be the stalker, huh?” Troy said.

“Yes,” Pope and I replied.

“Alright, show me those apps.”

Pope lined up the devices before swiping the screen. Could it be that easy? An app? No way. I’d have noticed it. Wouldn’t I have?

“Wait!” Troy said, “Go back to the previous screen.”

Pope did as he asked. “Tell me when to stop.”

“Right there,” Troy said. “ThePomPomapp. New shit. All the kids are using it to send texts to their friends and to track locations. It’s lowkey and all the data deletes within twenty-four hours. Once the app is uploaded to the phone or tablet, the person doing all the tracking has access to everything. Phone logs, messages, calendars. Everything.”

I stared at Pope who deleted the app from my phone while listening to Troy. There was a time when I would’ve defended Derrick. Made excuses and cleaned up the messes he made without a second thought because I fancied myself in love with him. Now, I wanted to strangle him. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

“I don’t think we should remove the app,” I said. “How do I prove he’s been on my phone without it?”

“App store,” Troy said. “If it came down to it, forensic search of the phone. But for now, if you look in the app store, once youtype inPomPom, a purple box will come up. The corresponding green box is on his phone.”

Which meant, the minute Derrick couldn’t track me, he’d know I knew about his little stalker tendencies. “Guess a restraining order won’t work.”

“I don’t know, man,” Troy said. “With as much as your phone has been going off, I’d say you have plenty of proof of harassment at least.”

True. “Thanks, I appreciate the help.”

“Anytime,” Troy said. “A friend of Pope’s is a friend of mine. Hey, Pope, didn’t catch your friend’s name.”

I smirked. “Thierry Thomas.”

“No shit! Holy fuck, man. You son of a bitch. You never told me you were friends with famous people. Fucker.”

Pope’s cheeks reddened. “Hanging up now. Bye.”

“Yeah, yeah, asshole. Bye.”

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