The English Year - 47. Strong Arms

Mike has strong arms. So strong that it’s easy to forget everything around when you are in his embrace. They are so strong that they can shield you from the rest of the world, physically and metaphorically. They can physically squeeze the pressure or strain of any and everything that could potentially bother you. They are so strong, that in that moment, they squeezed away all of the pain I’d felt in the last few days.

His arms were strong enough to lift me. And that’s what they did. They lifted me off the ground, spun me around, and placed me firmly on the edge of my bed.

They also lifted me metaphorically. As soon as I was wrapped around him, I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders. Everything of the past two days was gone. It was just me, in Mike’s arms.

He didn’t release my lips as he dove expertly onto my body. My legs spread and wrapped around his torso as he glided on top of me. It was like our bodies were two perfect puzzle pieces.

His abs somehow felt harder than I remembered. His thighs felt thicker as they found their place between mine. His shoulder and back muscles felt bigger as I caressed them, pulling his t-shirt up as I continued to kiss him, grind him, love him.

And his arms. His arms felt impossibly chiseled as they enveloped me. Protected me. Made me feel safe. Secure.

Mike sat up. I watched him take his shirt off and unbuckle his jeans. In one swift motion, he dove back down and kissed me again, flipping me on top of him. I’d never been handled like that before, and now with me on top of Mike, I took my own shirt off.

He was ravenous. HIs eyes were demonous as he pulled his pants down, revealing his hard cock veiled thinly by a pair of tight white briefs. I stood up and pulled my own tight jeans down, kicked off my shoes, and rejoined him on the bed.

I could have lain like that forever, I decided. This was what I needed. With Mike there that day, everything melted away.

Until I realized what time it was.

As soon as I felt my boner glide against his, I was jolted back to a reality even Mike couldn’t erase. Alexandria and I were supposed to meet back up with Chip and Ryan to finalize the article. We still needed to track down the other guys involved before prints returned and the paper was distributed the following day. I still had a mission to accomplish.

But there was absolutely no way I was letting the feeling of being in Mike’s arms go that quickly. No way in hell.

“Wait,” I panted, sitting up and reaching for my phone from my pant’s pocket. Mike gave me a puppy dog look that melted me. “Just wait.”

I quickly pulled up Alex’s number and dialed. He raised an eyebrow at me. I put a finger to my lips. He sat up and pulled off his socks while I listened to the phone ring. I watched as he crossed the room, his ass stretching the fabric of his briefs for dear life. I didn’t think there was any way in hell I could be any hornier, even with everything going on.

“Hey Alex,” I said, trying to measure my breath. Mike played with Mister on the couch as I spoke.

“Where have you been? I was going to head to Kappa Sig without you,” she said.

“Actually, Alex, I think you should go without me,” I hesitated, but pressed on. “I’m just… I’ve been feeling sick all day.”

“Corbin, I feel sick about this, but you dragged me into it. What are you doing?”

“I’m just… I have a migraine and I can’t even stand without wanting to vomit. Please, Alex. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need to stay here.”

I looked over at Mike and he grinned.

“Corbin.”

“I’m sorry, Alex.”

“What about the other meetings? If I can get the guys to sit down with us before tomorrow? Will you be able to make those?”

I took a deep breath. When did Mike have to go back to barracks? I thought. How long could I keep him here with me, in his arms, and keep out the rest of the world?

“I’ll try my best,” I replied.

I heard Alexandria sigh.

“Get better,” she said softly, and hung up. I took a deep breath, threw my phone onto my desk, and pulled Mike back up, and back on top of me onto my bed.

“I’m a migraine, huh?” he asked between a kiss.

“You’re the cure,” I replied softly, licking his neck, biting down softly. This made him convulse even harder into me, as I dug my fingers into his back and pulled him even closer. After what seemed like hours, I pulled back, looked deep into his eyes, and licked his lips, shuddering as I tasted him.

“How are you here?” I begged with my eyes. Part of me thought I was dreaming, I think. Part of me couldn’t believe it at all. Mike sat up, creating a gulf between us. I wanted him back on top of me. Inside of me.

“You called. I came.”

“But how?” I asked.

“Are you going to ask a million times?”

“Are you going to answer once?” I took a deep breath and pulled him back down. “I just want to make sure it’s real.”

“My time is almost up,” he replied, getting off me and rolling over. I pulled myself up on my elbow, and played with his chest as he answered. “So I asked for a furlough. I was given one for good behavior.”

I leaned down and kissed him deeply.

“It also helps when you have a sick aunt,” he smiled with a wink. “So for the next forty-eight hours, I’m your migraine, and you’re my sick aunt Muriel. My dad’s best friend and sister, and he needs me in this tough time.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Do you really have a sick aunt?” I asked.

“Do you really have a migraine?”

I let out a chuckle.

“My dad is an only child,” Mike replied. He pulled himself back on top of me. This time, he pulled his briefs down in one quick motion. I lifted my hips so he could pull my underwear down as well. We lay there naked, rubbing our torsos and cocks against each other. I lifted my hips, inviting him in. I didn’t care about a condom. I didn’t care about lube. I didn’t care about anything besides having Mike inside me as quickly as possible.

“I don’t want to talk about my dad,” he panted. “Not when I want to do this.”

Mike firmly pulled my legs up onto his shoulders, spit down on his dick, and dove in as if he owned my ass.

And in that moment he absolutely did. It hurt at first. It hurt badly. I grimaced, and Mike stopped, hunched over and kissed me. As my ass relented, he pushed in further and further. I finally felt him reach the hilt, and in that moment, I relaxed into his strong arms, and let him get to work.

It was so incredibly far from where Mike’s and my relationship started. So fucking far. I had never imagined we’d ever be this intimate. Not when he was the straight vmee who wouldn’t even look at me when I blew him. Or who arrogantly made me swallow his cum because he hated the sight of it. Or the macho heteroflexible cadet who wouldn’t in a million years consent to kissing me.

And yet there we were. And there I was, feeling every hard inch of him.

The cure.

It didn’t take long for me to adjust to Mike. My body welcomed him as he pulled in and out, slowly at first, and then picking up steam. I don’t think our lips left each other’s as we continued to grind together. I felt him build up speed, and if it was possible, his cock get harder and thicker inside of me.

This was more intense than the first time we fucked. Mike was on a mission. Four months in solitary must have done that to the man. All the pent up aggression of not feeling another body for that long was taken out on me.

“Oh god,” I moaned right into his ear. Mike bit down on my shoulder.

“Fuck, Corbin. Fuck!” he muffled his shouts into my shoulder. I dug my fingers into his back, spurring him on.

“Fuck me, Mike. Fucking fuck me, killer,” I begged. “Please, fuck me. Don’t stop.”

I couldn’t control myself. I pulled myself up to meet his thrusts, which were already going a million miles an hour. We were on autopilot, he and I. He was on a mission, and I was determined not to think about anything besides Mike’s hard cock pistoning in and out of me, his head running against my prostate, sending shivers throughout my entire body. I was in sexual bliss, as Mike continued to ravage me from the inside and out.

There was no comparing him to the fucking I’d finally had with Pete, and there was no need to. They were both perfect, everything about them. But they were perfect in two completely different ways. Right then and there, I was determined to appreciate Mike’s sheer perfection.

And so I did. Over and over, for what felt like forever. He sat up and grabbed both of my ankles, planting his feet on the ground, and pushing into my ass with more intensity than I’d ever felt.

“Oh my fucking god,” I screamed. He incoherently panted, screaming different things over and over. For someone in such great shape, the sweat and panting made it clear my body was giving him the kind of workout they don’t provide at the Virginia Military Institute.

And in one final motion, Mike pulled all the way back, shuddered, and dove right back into me, collapsing on me once again. I felt his cum first ooze out of his cock slowly, coating my insides. And then I felt his cock swell as if his entire member was going to explode. I felt like the two of us were going to combust.

HIs cock expanded.

“Oh fuck, Corbin.” he released into my ear as his cock released into my insides. I dug in for dear life, and then I felt the torrent. A violent burst of cum shot inside of me. I felt like I was being filled with gallons of cum, rope after rope.

“Oh fuck,” I screamed one final time. Mike’s face was pressed up against mine as we both struggled to breathe. “Oh fucking fuck!”

He heaved and collapsed beside me. I felt empty, but having him next to me, both of us struggling to breathe, felt like sheer bliss. We both lay catching our breath, staring up at the ceiling. It was then that I realized three things.

First, somewhere in that orgasm, Mike and my hands had found each other. We intertwined fingers, connecting us deeply, on an entirely different level. It was magical.

Second, I realized I had cum spontaneously at some point while he was fucking me. I hadn’t even felt myself release, but my torso was soaked with sweat and cum.

Third, this was exactly what I needed. My head had been swimming. I had made decisions that didn’t feel like me, but that would have ripple effects for the rest of the year. And in that fog, in that cloud, I didn’t have a center. Until Mike resurfaced. He was the remedy.

The cure.

And I didn't know how long this particular brand of treatment would last, but I was determined to milk it for as long as possible.

We eventually came down to earth, and after we cleaned up, and got dressed in pairs of my sweats, Mike and I settled in for an early evening snuggle. I could hear my phone vibrate occasionally on my desk, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered. It was Sunday, and whatever people wanted from me was officially a Monday problem.

“So are you going to fill me in?” Mike asked as he spooned me from behind.

“Fill you in on what?” I asked.

“On why you didn’t call for four months, and then all of a sudden in the course of two days, you tried to get hold of me three times?”

I took a deep breath.

“It’s complicated,” I sighed.

“I have nowhere to be,” he answered. “Tell me like I’m dumb.”

“Mike,” I started.

“Corbin, I meant what I said when you opened the door. I’ve thought about so much the last few months without you. Without anyone. I’m for you in whatever capacity you’ll have me. If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to talk.”

He stretched and pulled even closer to me, nibbling the back of my neck. I thought about taking him up on that particular offer, but I didn’t know if my ass could handle another assault so soon. I reached behind my head and pulled his head closer to mine.

“If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t get up and run out,” I said softly.

“I have nowhere to be,” he repeated, this time lifting himself up and kissing me.

First I explained to him how I got on the IFC and met Chip. I didn’t go into details about our trip to The Homestead, but I explained how I made myself invaluable to someone with pretty deep connections on campus - deeper even than my own.

Then I explained to him about the Student Executive Council and how important they were. How they were the ones to rule things on campus. Disciplinary decisions, committee charter disbursements, and more importantly a profile so high that simply being on the council gave you a cache higher than everything I’d already done. The Founder and Fancy Ball groveled for money from the SEC. They were that powerful.

And then I described to him how I sold my soul to get on the Council. How I made a deal with Chip and Ryan to butter up their friends’ transgressions in order to work my way onto the council. How I’d chosen to give myself that power in exchange for my soul.

And finally, I described how lonely it felt. I described the island I had created for myself. I told him my reasoning for not wanting Pete there while this all unfolded. I told him that in the next few days, once things began to unravel and people started to put things together, I would surely be lumped in with the public enemies that had actually committed the assault. And I didn’t even know how things would shake up when I ascended onto the council and tried to play all of this off behind me.

I told him everything I sacrificed: Pete, my position at The Founder, my soul.

“Wow,” he replied. “I wasn’t expecting any of that.”

“I know,” I said with a deep breath. “But you have to understand how much I hate myself for getting involved in this.”

“Honestly, I don’t. You didn’t have any control over what happened. And honestly, Corbin, these things happen all the time and don’t get the kind of treatment that you’re providing. I get this girl is a victim of something horrific, but at least she’s having her story told. In some way. Even if it isn’t ideal. Not a lot of victims get that.”

I didn’t want to think about Claire while I was in Mike’s arms, but I couldn’t help it. And part of what he said was true. We didn’t erase the blame, or minimize her victimhood. We simply redirected the blame to serve our client. I still felt sick, but if I’m completely honest, less so.

The cure to my internal illness.

“So what happens now?” he asked.

“What happens now is we lay like this forever and I never have to face the music,” I said. I turned, and faced him so that our noses were an inch apart.

“I will lay like this with you until we die. They’ll find two skeletons just like this.” Mike pulled me in closer, and our pelvises melted together seamlessly.

“Like those two old people in Titanic.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“You’re lying!” I sat up. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

I shot out of bed in a moment of sheer impulse.

“Get up,” I said. “We’re going for a walk.”

By this time I was already crossing over to my closet to get two hoodies. I tossed one to Mike.

“Where are we going?”

“On a field trip,” I smiled, pulling a hoodie over my head.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m supposed to be in Maryland. If another Vmee sees me, I could get kicked out.”

I fished for a jacket.

“Put your hoodie on. It’s Sunday, no one is out. We’re not going far, I promise,” I countered. “Plus if anyone from my house recognizes you, I’m fucked too.”

Mike and I got dressed, bundled up, and I led him across campus to the library. Most students were holed up studying. The sun had already gone down, early in those winter days, and so with our hoods on, Mike and I went downstairs to the movie desk and I requested to check out Titanic. I signed the movie out, and after a quick pitstop at the Student Commons to buy dinner, Mike and I returned to my room, loaded the DVD on my laptop, and I snuggled between his legs while we watched it.

Three hours later, I turned to see a tear fall down Mike’s eyes as I smiled softly, and kissed him.

“Damn,” he said after Rose released Jack into the water.

“Are you crying?”

“No, you’re crying!”

“Come here,” I pulled him back on top of me as the credits rolled. It didn’t take much kissing before we were making love again. This time slower, softer, more intimate. He shot another bucket inside of me, that much didn’t change. Neither did the feeling of security.

“Corbin, no matter what happens, I’m here. And everything will be okay.”

As I drifted to sleep, I wanted to believe that. And in that moment, despite the reality that he’d have to go back to the barracks eventually, I did believe him.

I woke up with a start the next morning. Mike and I had fallen asleep, and somehow found ourselves intertwined in each other’s arms. He had his strong arm around me as I pressed backwards into his body. His chest on my back, his pelvis perfectly pressed to mine. His hard morning wood nestled perfectly against my ass.

I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to leave that position for anything, and so as I stretched myself awake, I pressed against him, creating a friction that is only possible in the wee hours of the morning.

“Mmmmm,” Mike moaned into my ear. “I could get used to this.”

I smiled, turned, and kissed him.

“Did you mean what you said yesterday?”

“What I said?”

“When you first showed up,” I yawned. I should have felt self-conscious about my morning breath, but I didn’t. “That I was the guy you loved, and that’s why you showed up when you did?”

“Don’t get it confused, Corbin,” Mike stretched. He pulled himself away from me and sat on the edge of my bed. I studied the muscles on his back, as I waited for him to finish.

“You're the guy I love, killer.” He turned around to watch my reaction. I smiled.

“I need to hit the head,” he sprang up. I asked if he remembered where it was. He pulled on a pair of my sweats, and left. I crawled out of bed and pulled my phone from my desk, where it had sat all night after I told Alex I was out for the count. Hers was the first message I read.

From Alex: Hope you’re feeling better. Papers are off to print. I’m going to try my best to get the guys involved before I pick them up from the printer. We may not distribute until Tuesday morning. What’s your Monday Schedule?

From Alex: Get ready, and get it together. All six guys, Chip and Ryan Monday night at 11 at Kappa Sig. They’ll send us more details after their chapter meeting.

I sighed, weeded through the rest of the messages, and then sat back on my bed, waiting for Mike. It was a cacophony of correspondence, and even though I knew chaos was about to ensue, no one who had messaged me was aware. It made me feel like an island. They were playing checkers. I was playing with fire.

From Dom: You missed the SEC meeting tonight. What gives?

From Roberto: Hey. You okay? Haven’t seen you around lately. Lunch?

From Hutch: I’m doing the minutes for Chapter tomorrow night. Social report? Are you ready? You missed the EC meeting and pledgeship, and Dom is pissed. Everything alright?

From Dom: Make sure you’re at Chapter. No excuses.

From Austin: You missed pledgeship. What the fuck?

From David: Can we talk?

I pushed them all out of my head. As I waited for Mike, I made an executive decision. I’d go to chapter that night. I’d resurface and act as if everything was normal. And then I’d meet with Alex and the other guys later on. I would do all of that. I would take care of my responsibilities.

But what I wasn’t going to do was go to class. I was staring the most grueling evening of my life straight in the face, and I needed to prepare myself mentally.

And so I pulled out my laptop and emailed the three professors, including the chorus instructor, and told them that I was feeling under the weather.

It was an easy decision, especially considering that our campus was small enough that on that Monday, if I had left my room and wandered campus, I surely would have run into Pete.

And that was the absolute last thing I wanted. I wanted to dwell in the afterglow of what Mike had said. At least until I was forced to resurface and face the chaos I had caused.

Mike came back from taking a piss, and he and I made our plans for the day. First order of business was to take care of the morning wood I’d woken up to, and so as soon as he walked back in, I got between his strong muscular legs, pulled down the sweats he was wearing, and took his cock into my mouth.

It still tasted a little of piss, but once he made his way to full mast, all I tasted was the precum of the very sexy vmee and his very sexy cock. He was more appreciative than I remembered him being, which made me double down on my efforts. Before long, standing there against the wall, Mike was grabbing the back of my head and face fucking me. I grabbed his thighs as his body tensed up. I was ready for him to shoot his cum.

“Corbin, watch out. I’m going to uhhhhh… I’m going to…”

I didn’t stop pumping up and down on his cock. In record time, I felt Mike’s balls tighten, his body convulse, and his dick swell in my mouth. He pulled me in as far as he could go, and then with a torrent unleashed a wave of cum down my throat.

“That was amazing, killer.” I stood up as he pulled his sweats up. I wiped my lips and smiled at him. I decided to take a risk and go in for a kiss. Unsurprisingly, Mike had no desire to share a cum kiss, and instead pivoted to the side, lowering his head. I knew I was pushing it, but as open and close as we’d been since last night, I thought I could get away with it.

“What should we do today?” he asked, having a seat next to Mister, who nuzzled into Mike’s nook as if they’d been old friends for years.

“Well, I need to get cleaned up,” I replied. “I already told my professors I’m not coming to class today.”

“So I get you all to myself?” Mike asked.

“You better take advantage,” I smiled.

“Oh, I plan to.”

We decided that we didn’t have to do anything that day. It was overcast and cold, the perfect stay in bed and do nothing kind of day. I walked out to brush my teeth, and when I came back, Mike was sitting up against the headboard of my bed, his legs crossed, and his arms behind his head. He had pulled the covers over his legs, keeping his chest revealed, and had left a space for me. My laptop was at his feet as I crossed the room to join him. Mister was nuzzled between his legs.

“Are you ready for another round already?” I asked, taking my own shirt off and joining him. I put my hand between his thighs.

“Shhhhh,” he turned to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Not in front of the little one.”

I laughed.

“Besides, you’re not going to class. We have all day for that.”

“Then what is this?”

“Don’t judge me,” he replied. “I want to watch that Titanic movie again.”

“Already?” I asked with a smile. I sat up and went to cue up the movie.

“Well, I say watch,” Mike smirked, this time kissing me right on the lips. “Now that I know what happens, maybe I don’t need to pay close attention.”

I moaned into his lips, and this time, I squeezed my way up his thigh. Sure enough, he was ready to go again.

We did it twice before lunch. I gave him another of my expert blow jobs. We watched more of the movie, and right as Jack and Rose fucked in the back of that car, Mike and I had the idea to go ahead and fuck again.

It was slower this time, more sensual. We didn’t even leave missionary as Mike and I looked deep into each other’s eyes as he fucked me nice and slow. Perfectly intimate. We kissed like lovers. We moaned into each other’s ears. Reassuring each other. Holding each other.

His strong arms were the cure. The remedy.

By the time we were tuckered out and the movie had ended, I wondered just how much pent up spunk Mike had saved up during solitary.

It was more impressive than I could have ever imagined. But even as I wanted to test the maximum of how many times I could make Mike cum, I knew we’d need sustenance to get us to the next orgasm. I still didn’t want to leave my room, so I suggested we get a pledge to bring us food. After protesting that he didn’t want anyone to know he was there, I told him I had a pledge who could be trusted. I texted David, and after he responded that he’d be right there, Mike and I waited patiently.

A few minutes later, I peeled myself away from Mike’s arms, and answered the knock on the door. On the other side was David, who stepped in, did a quick look around and noticed someone on the other side of the room.

“What do you need, Brother Crowley?” I detected something off in his voice. It was low and measured.

“How are you?”

“Fine.” His answer was short and curt.

“Are you sure?”

“I said fine,” David responded. “I have a lot of things to do though. What can I do for you?”

“My friend and I need some food. From the Student Co-Op if possible.”

“I wouldn’t have anyone to walk with me right now,” David replied.

“Fine. Something from downstairs then.” Something about his attitude rubbed me the wrong way, and so I asked him to step into the hall with me.

“David, tell me the truth. Is everything okay with you?”

“I was trying to get hold of you this weekend, and you weren’t available. And apparently it's because you’re hanging out with some guy.”

“He’s not just- David, what do you need?”

“You’re preoccupied.”

“I’m listening.”

I stared him right in the eye, and suddenly felt guilty for not being there for him.

“I want to quit. I want to quit the frat,” he said.

“Wait, what? Why?”

“I just… it’s not for me. And you aren’t around, and you’re supposed to be helping me. And If you can’t then I just want to quit.”

I took a deep breath, and stepped towards David. He retreated a step, but I still put my hand on his elbow.

“David, listen to me. I absolutely want to talk to you about this. I really really do. And I will. Please, just give me a chance to hear you out, and we’ll get through this.”

“You’re preoccupied,” he repeated. He was right, and I didn’t know when I would be un-preoccupied if I was honest. I wasn’t sure how long Mike would be there. I wasn’t sure what tomorrow would look like when the paper dropped. And I wasn’t sure what my life would be like when I ascended to the SEC. But I knew I needed to keep my head in the game, and David adding this stress wasn’t what I needed right then.

“Let’s do this, David. Let’s have lunch tomorrow. Just you and me, off campus. Anywhere you want to go.” I was thinking on my feet. What would I do with Mike during that time? I didn’t have time to consider it, as I needed to put out this fire before it actually combusted. If things changed, I thought, I could always postpone with David and string him along until I did have time to deal with him, but for now, I didn’t need him running to Hutch or their pledge master and quitting on a whim.

“Tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow. Text me what time works best and I’ll meet you. And if you still want to quit after that, then fine. But let’s try to figure this out first.”

“Tomorrow,” he repeated. I nodded.

“What do you guys want to eat? I’ll sneak off to the Co-op.” I told David to get us whatever the special was, some fresh fruit, and couple of Sunrise Sandwiches. I figured that would be enough food to sustain Mike and I until I had to absolutely leave later that day for Chapter and for my meeting with Alexandria and the guys.

“That took longer than just placing a food order,” Mike said when I returned to my room. He was sitting on the couch instead of the bed where I had left him.

“Freshman with problems,” I sighed, sitting next to him.

“Your phone kept going off,” Mike said, handing my cell phone to me. “Someone named Alex wants to talk to you.”

“Let me call her back real quick. I’m sorry, babe.”

“Take your time,” he replied. “I like it when you call me… babe.”

I smiled at him as I dialed. He announced he was going to hit the restroom, and I watched him sneak out just as Alex answered.

“Feeling better?” she had no time for hello, it appeared.

“Marginally,” I replied.

“I wanted to go over how tonight is going to go,” she said. “The guys are pissed I summoned them all together, so I don’t care if you have the plague, I need you there.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Good. So I have a plan. I want to do something right by Claire. Here is what I’m thinking.”

I listened to the plan that Alex had hatched, and after a bit of back and forth, we agreed on an approach. We also agreed on how we would enforce our approach. If we could pull this off, we could do our jobs, and get a bit of justice for Claire. Not a lot. Not enough. But something was better than nothing, I told myself. I liked what we had come up with, and with my marching orders from Alex, I hung up on her and turned my attention back to Mike, who had returned to my room, and was once again sprawled across my couch.

“Sounds like we have some work to do,” Mike said, having heard the end of the conversation. I nodded, got my laptop out, and forced Mike into helping me set things in motion.

By the time Chapter rolled around, I was once again exhausted. I texted Hutch that I was skipping and that there wasn’t much to discuss in terms of the social calendar. I turned my phone off before I had a chance to be scolded. Mike and I had been hard at work for a few hours, and while just being with him felt amazing, I didn’t want our entire day to consist of working, planning, and plotting. And I didn’t want to have to leave him for a boring ass Chapter meeting. I would be leaving him in a few hours anyway, and so I didn’t hesitate to skip chapter and spend that time in bed with Mike.

Two orgasms, a mouth full of vmee cum, and an hour of making out and cuddling later, and I finally had to peel myself away from Mike and get ready to head to the Kappa Sig house.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” he said, giving me a kiss. “I’ll just watch this boat movie again until you get back.”

“That’s three times.”

“What can I say? Something about Jack and Rose does it for me,” he smiled.

“When do you have to go back?” I said, pulling on my jeans and a sweater.

“Tomorrow, probably. Unless my aunt’s condition gets worse.”

“We could very well arrange for it to get worse. In fact, I don’t think she’ll ever recover, and you should be by her side forever.”

Mike grinned.

“I wish, killer.” There was a moment of awkward silence as we both processed the energy that existed between us after months of not seeing each other. “You have no idea how much I wish.”

The implication was that Mike could spend the rest of his life with me. And he was one of two guys I’d ever met that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with as well. There was something about the way he told me he wished. There was something about the strength and comfort in his arms. There was something about Mike Loggerman.

But there were things that needed to be taken care of. I pushed that fantasy out of my head, and went into game mode. I knew my pledges were downstairs in a lineup, so none of them could give me a ride. I made plans to get a ride from Alexandria, while Mike stuck around incognito in my room, probably watching Titanic again.

Alex and I were virtually silent during the drive to County Seat, where we met Ryan, Chip, and Malibu, just like last time. We had our strategy, and the fact we had come up with something we could stomach was enough for us. We made some strategic details, who would say what, as she drove. But for the most part, both of us did our best to maintain an even keel.

These weren’t your run of the mill men to interview and organize. On a campus with thousands of kids, these guys were among the most elite socially. Two had been on the SEC. The rest were high ranking members of their clubs and frats, and they were all part of our middling but highly lucrative football program. As powerful as Alex and I both were in our own worlds, this was a different ballgame. They were part of the jet set that the elite rubbed shoulders with, and here we were. The Pelican Brief, ready to confront the Supreme Court of ODU.

We pulled up, and were immediately met by Chip, who escorted us into the basement. They had set up a table with six chairs on one side, two on the other. The lighting was dim. Two of the guys had what looked like whiskey in a glass in front of them. Ryan stood behind the row of guys, already seated. Chip ushered us in, and sat us down across from them. He stood behind my right shoulder, across from Ryan, directly across from me. A detail I will remember to this day. Chip at my side, his left hand rested on my right shoulder.

I had to force my body to breathe. It didn’t come naturally in that vicinity. I felt like the smallest of small fish, even with the knowledge I possessed. I was Corbin Crowley, and in most scenarios, that would’ve given me the confidence to commence the meeting. But in this context, that name meant little. I knew it. They knew it. And so there we were.

“What is this all about?” the first guy to speak said. I recognized him from my research as Kevin Lannigan. To his left was Beau Richards, and to Beau’s left was Tyler Rankin. In part of Alex and my strategy, I had done some research on those guys. I’d done research on all of them. I took a deep breath. I was ready. And I hoped they were as well.

Without skipping a beat, Alex got ready. She pulled out the folder of newspapers she had brought with her. Simultaneously, I pulled out my folder of loose leaf papers I had printed out in the Chi Beta library before I left. We gave them a chance to look over the official newspaper release, and then the casually printed release. We watched their eyes as they scanned, and we patiently waited for a response.

Beau chimed in first.

“What the fuck is this?” he asked, holding the sheet of printer paper up towards me. I took a deep breath, feeling every inch of my Adam's apple press against my throat.

“This is the version of the story we plan to release if we don’t have a few contingencies met,” Alex said quickly. “And agreed to during this meeting.”

“I thought the entire point of this was us not having to deal with it,” one of the guys said to Ryan. “At all.”

“Contingencies?” another guy asked us simultaneously. There was a razor’s edge to his voice. We were up against university lions, there was no denying that. These guys were used to getting what they wanted from birth, and here we were challenging that on behalf of one student. Claire. And our own self-preservation, dignity, and honor.

“This is bullshit,” Beau said, rising from the table.

“You’re going to want to sit,” I said, my voice louder than I imagined it could be. “They don’t call you BUI Beau for no reason, and I’d hate to tell your friends here what that reason is. Should we get into the details? Why you aren’t allowed to operate a boat of any kind in the great state of South Carolina?”

He and I locked eyes. Beau looked at me like I was his worst enemy, and if I’m honest, it took everything inside of me not to spontaneously combust from fear. But I knew I had the upper hand. And so I raised an eyebrow while he slowly retreated. Mike, who had helped me prep for all of this, would have been eternally proud.

“I didn’t think so,” I peppered in for good measure as he retreated. I scanned the rest of the who’s who, challenging any of the rest of them to test my knowledge of their secrets. I knew my Google sleuthing was better than what they could have imagined and the way Beau sat right back down made them all take pause.

“Alright then,” I sighed. “Here’s the deal. The page you have before you is the version of this story we will run in the paper unless our contingencies are met.”

“Really? You already printed this version so what? You’ll go back to print with another version? Seems unlikely.”

He was right. We had over two thousand copies ready to go, not only on campus, but sealed in distribution envelopes for alumni and donors all ready to ship. Retracting that would be a nightmare, which is what made us all the more confident we wouldn’t have to go that route. A reprint would cost the paper a ton of money, but we were prepared to do it if necessary. We were banking, literally, that it wouldn’t be necessary.

“Don’t underestimate what we will or will not do, please,” I said confidently. I scooted up in my chair, sitting as tall as possible, my elbows on the table, and my hands interlocked confidently.

“What do you want then?” one of the six asked us.

“The paper will go out tomorrow morning, first thing. You guys will be painted as shiny as we could possibly make you, however as you can see, there are no names mentioned in our official version of the story. We will obviously keep it that way, and you all will lay low and deny any allegations that you’re the members of the team involved. Let the rumors swirl. That part is up to you.”

There was a heavy silence as I continued.

“On Thursday we’ll issue a special version of the paper with your anonymous apologies to the girl you assaulted. We’ll print all six apologies and run them simultaneously. They will be heartfelt, they will be in your own words, and they’ll be in our inbox by Wednesday at 5pm. If we disagree with anything you have to say in these apologies, we’ll make the necessary changes.”

There was a squirm amongst the guys, and some shifting as they processed what was being demanded of them.

“On next Monday, in the next official run of the paper, the IFC, Panhellenic, and the Student Executive Council will announce a joint initiative, funded by the Dean’s offices, to help bring sexual assault awareness to campus. This will be the biggest initiative of its kind, and it will include classes, summits, and events that will help curb the onslaught of sexual misconduct across all organizations. Greek and non-greek.”

“This is absurd,” Beau said under his breath. He shot a look towards Ryan, who shot a look directly towards me. He nodded in my direction, and I continued.

“This is where your commitments come into play,” I said slowly. “When the calendar of events is rolled out, you all will be expected to volunteer, attend, and encourage your fellow teammates and brothers to attend as well. We expect you to take all of these initiatives seriously. And enthusiastically, if I’m honest.”

That’s when the true murmur began. That detail wasn’t something they were anticipating. Sure, we had a ton of initiatives on campus. For every poster, there was a conference. We all got the same mandatory talking to before Tear Night, or during orientation. This one required their involvement. As seniors, as untouchables on campus, their presence would be felt in a much bigger way. And we were determined to make them feel it.

“You’re joking, right?” It was Kevin who spoke up first.

“If you still think we’re joking, you are denser than I thought,” Alex replied. A guy named Quatro who had been visibly upset the entire time directed something towards me, and I shut it down.

“I think you may want to re-read the alternate version before you keep crying about fairness, my friend,” I said. “This isn’t a negotiation. This is you smiling, and nodding, and when the time comes, showing up to do your duty.”

“Isn’t the apology enough? If we go to these stupid classes or whatever, people will assume we’re involved.”

“Or they’ll take your participation as a sign of a new direction on campus. One where even the most prominent students take sexual violence seriously. Maybe, just maybe, it will prevent something like this from ever happening again. And maybe when you all graduate and go off into the real world, it might make you all think twice about ever doing something like this again.”

My eyes were on fire. My mind swirled, and my tongue lashed as sharply as it could. I needed this. I needed them to understand that just because I had already sold my soul didn’t mean they were off the hook.

And so we gave them our version of the hook.

“What if we decide not to go along with this? And what if my lawyers give you a call before you have a chance to run to your printshop and accuse us of sexual assault in print. I will own your life by the time you get this out.” More threats from one of the brass. I looked up to see that it was Kevin making the threat. I sat back and folded my arms. I looked over at Alex who gave me a head nod. I reached into my bag and pulled out a folder. I slid it casually towards Kevin, who stared at me like I had four heads.

More of my google sleuthing with Mike to the rescue for another idiot who thought I wouldn’t show up with a bazooka to this particular knife fight.

Kevin didn’t move. Our showdown created a type of tension in the room I had never experienced. I knew he knew what was in the folder. I could sense it. And I could sense everyone else wondering as well.

“Open it,” I cocked my head as nonchalantly as possible. I licked my top row of teeth, waiting for him to respond. “You know what’s inside.”

“Kevin, let’s just…” Quatro started to say.

“You don’t scare me, what’s your name? Corbin?”

I chuckled.

“You know my name,” I said slowly and confidently. I didn’t know where this energy was coming from. “You knew my name when you asked your brother right there to get me to clean this up for you. And you know my name now. And you absolutely know that googling your last name, along with the words expelled will result in some interesting findings. How many private schools were you kicked out of before getting rejected from this university? Care to share?”

My daggers refused to back down.

“And how much did your father donate to this school to get the admissions department to reconsider? How many buildings did it take?”

I felt the energy in the room shift.

“Kevin, bro…”

“If you know how powerful my dad is, why would you think I couldn’t destroy you,” Kevin retaliated.

“Because not only will I embarrass the shit out of you, but I’ll also reveal what I found out on google about your dad’s current finances and pending indictment. Fraud, isn’t it? Paying for college with those hot checks, hoping you’ll graduate just in time for a judge to slap him with a club fed sentence? Good luck paying for that lawyer you speak of with your family’s assets frozen.”

I could have cut through glass with the edge in my voice. It was then that I noticed for the first time a look of fear mixed with Kevin’s contempt. There was something small, resembling a tear, forming in the corner of his eye.

I licked my teeth again, showing I intended to keep the upper hand.

“Listen guys, I can do this all night,” I started to reach for my other folders. Without saying a word, I passed them out. There was something in there for each of them, and watching them squirm wondering what it could be gave me the greatest thrill.

I thought about Mike, being in his arms as we did our work. Methodically. Uncovering things that were buried deep inside the internet. But certain things, once you knew were to look, couldn’t be kept hidden. Messaging old friends on The Facebook. Going through school newspaper records that had been digitally uploading. Searching keywords. It was easier than I thought, and once Alex and I had agreed to go down this road, pulling the intel together had become an event I had loved sharing with Mike.

In his arms. His strong arms.

Once the dust settled, I noticed a softening of the guard. They knew we had them. All of them, including Beau and Kevin.

“So now that we have settled the fact that we will utterly ruin all of you if you don’t go along with our contingencies, do we have a deal here?” Alex asked, shifting forward, and returning to her power stance. I mimicked her. My hero.

Their silence was deafening. Ryan spoke up for the group.

“You guys, this is the best its going to get. They talked Claire out of taking this to trial. They’re keeping your names out of it, and if it escalates in the public, they’ll handle the fallout for us. All we have to do is show up.”

“We?” Kevin shot Ryan a look. “I don’t see your name on here.”

His voice was shot, clearly holding back tears.

“And yet I’m still here fighting for you,” Ryan retorted with a spit. “Grow up, bro.”

I took a deep breath.

“There’s one last detail.” This was the part of the night I had been dreading, but Alex forced me to address it head on.

“I need a drink,” Tyler, who had as of then remained silent, cut me off, standing, and walking over to a shelf to pour more whiskey into his glass.

“Do you mind getting me one as well?” I asked. He shot me a look. He slowly pulled a red solo cup from the desk and poured a shot into it. He saw right through my power move, and as neutered as he felt, handed me the cup. I took a slow swig before continuing.

“Tyler, and Devin. There are going to be questions about why you’re leaving the Student Executive Council, and how it relates to this mess. Some students may put two and two together, but we are determined to deny any link between that and the allegations.” I took a deep breath. “In order to do that, we’re prepared to say that you’re resigning early because you want to take a Washington Term, and you want to give the Council enough time to find a replacement for you. It would be selfish to leave those seats empty for six weeks once you head to DC.”

I watched them process the new information. A Washington term was the name of the mini-semester ODU students could elect to take in the spring. We had a unique semester that ran after finals of Spring Term, that lasted six weeks and was a full-emersion course that students took from the end of April to the beginning of June. It was normally a bird course on campus that allowed students to party while only taking one class, but it was also a chance for seniors to spend six weeks at an internship or in Washington DC or New York studying off campus in a politics or finance intensive. It was unique to our school, and a big selling point. A lot of seniors used it to get their feet wet in those cities before moving there after graduation.

But these two hadn’t signed up for a Washington Term. This was news to them, and the shock in their eyes was palpable.

“A Washington Term? You’re literally kicking us off campus? Our senior year?”

“That’s the cover, unless you have a better one. The two of you, more than any of these other guys, will have to face the rumors. We’re trying to help you out here,” I replied.

“My suggestion is you give it some thought,” Alex chimed in. “And if you decide to change your mind, sure. But the fact is you need to apply and enroll in one of the Washington Term courses, and make every indication it’s been your dream to go all along. That way your resignation won’t seem so suspicious. I’m confident the deans who offered to help cover this whole thing up along with Claire’s doctors will be happy to fast track your applications.”

There was another hot wave of silence. I took another sip of my whiskey, burning my throat, and realizing I hadn’t taken a sufficient breath for at least half an hour.

There wasn’t much more to say about the meeting after that point. The guys in front of us had retreated like tired dogs, and Alex and I packed our things, left the Kappa Sig house, and out in the open midnight air, were able to breathe for the first time in a few days.

“Good job,” Alex gave me a hug. She reiterated that from then on, we would communicate via Sorority lunch or at our study carrels in the basement of the library, but I wasn’t allowed back in The Founder offices. What the guys hadn’t taken the time to read was my resignation article where my column normally stood.

It was bittersweet, of course, but having something decent come out of our involvement made me feel marginally better.

Alex agreed to call Claire on her way home after she dropped me off, and with decidedly lighter feet, I walked back into the Chi Beta house, where I was greeted by a shirtless Mike. He gave me the biggest, warmest hug with his strong silent arms.

“How did it go?” he whispered as he led me back into the bed.

“Hold me all night, and I’ll tell you about it,” I replied. We took each other’s clothes off silently, and as if we’d practiced this for years and years, he climbed into bed, and I climbed in after him. I fit perfectly into his embrace, and with a warm squeeze of his strong arms, I told him everything.