A/N Important news below.

Sideline Collision Chapter 29

"Are you nervous?"

I looked at Reed Girl in the mirror as I straightened my tie. "Why would I be nervous?"

She shook her head, laughing. "It's only the biggest day of your career."

For now. I'd had plenty of big days so far. Two Heismans, two national championships, two MVPs. Fucking right I'd repeated as champion, as promised. It wasn't my career that had those annoying fucking stomach flutters returning.

"It's a done deal, baby. I'm going first; it's just a matter of who picks me." I hoped like hell it wasn't going to be Cleveland. Yes, they had the first pick in the draft and yes they needed another quarterback because every single one they picked sucked balls, so I was more than likely fucked. But according to the guys on NFL Network and ESPN, there was some talk of movement expected at the top of the draft. I hoped that was fucking true, for my fucking sake. Cleveland. What the fuck would I do there?

"Cleveland? I hope not. I look terrible in brown and orange." Reed Girl gestured to herself with a frown. No shit. Nobody looked good in uniforms the color of shit. Not even me. And if I couldn't make a uniform look good, that uniform should be burned.

"You look good in anything." Even brown and orange, ugly though they may be. I raked my eyes over her body. My girl had elected to wear a sexy green dress for our return to New York. She spent nearly as much time on ESPN these days as I did, it seemed. I kept her by my side whenever humanly possible. You'd think after a year and a half of living together I'd be sick of having her around. I wasn't. Not even close.

If I was nervous about anything, it was about being away from her. I was due to graduate in a month with my MBA. Reed Girl had busted ass and was on track to graduate next December, but that meant that we'd spend my first season apart, unless some team like Jacksonville picked me so I could be only a few hours away from her. I hoped those fuckers pulled the trigger, it wasn't like they had to move up that much to go from three to one. I was a once in a lifetime player and Mel Kiper was already comparing me to Elway, Manning and Marino. It didn't get any fucking better than that, did it?

She reached up and smoothed down my jacket before running her fingers through my hair. "There. You look hot." I was wearing a black suit and a green tie that went with my girl's dress, because according to her and my mother, that was what I should do. I'd long ago figured out that it was easier to let them have their way on shit like this than to argue. They always got their way anyway and I ended up with a headache, so why bother?

I pushed her up against the wall of our hotel room and pressed myself against her. "How hot do I look?"

She laughed and wrapped my tie around her fist, pulling me in closer. "Hot enough to be by my side on your big day."

I laughed and kissed her hard, because she was fucking awesome and right. She looked good enough to eat. "I'm glad I'm worthy, baby."

"Always, Champ." I rubbed against her and she laughed and ducked between my arms. "Oh, no, not again. We don't have time." I pouted which made her giggle all the more.

"It's my big day," I reminded her, though she was right. We needed to get to Tiffany's and then to Radio City to sit with the other NFL prospects and wait until my name was called.

"I thought it was our big day," she said with a little smirk.

"It is." In more ways than she knew. My big days were hers, her big days were mine. I was there for every concert and show she was a part of and she was at my games playing my song and sporting my number on top of her hat and on her wrist. "And I have something big for you."

She shook her head as she returned to the mirror to finish fussing with her face, not that she needed to. She was fucking stunning. "I believe you shared that with me in the shower just a bit ago." Damn right I did. "And I believe you'll share it with me tonight once we know where you're going to end up next year."

I winced at the words "you're going to end up" both because it was true and because I hated it. "We're going to end up, you mean. Right?" I didn't want to look at her face when I asked that so I turned away from her and looked for my wallet. I felt her arms come around me and her breasts push against my back.

"Of course, we. I'm stuck with you, remember? And you're stuck with me."

I knew that, of course, and I was going to make sure it stayed that way, but it still felt good to hear it. "Yeah, baby? Even if I end up in Cleveland?"

She squeezed me around the waist. "I'll be there in an ugly brown jersey cheering my head off." I smiled at the visual. "Hey." She released me and came around to stand in front of me. "What brought that on?"

I shrugged and tried to change the subject. "Just being weird, I guess. We should get…"

"Edward Cullen, don't you even think about stepping out of this room until you tell me what's wrong." Fuck. I knew that tone. I'd heard that tone when I'd accidentally-on-purpose gotten Rainbow to rip the shit out of this ugly shirt that my girl fell in love with and she'd been forced to part with the fucking nasty thing. It wasn't my fault Rainbow listened to me. Who expected a cat to do shit like that?

In other words, that tone meant business and I was going to be in a shitload of trouble if I didn't tell her what was on my mind. Her brown eyes were narrowed and her hands were on her hips and she looked like she was ready to take me on and win. She fucking would too. The woman owned me.

"It's the first time we're going to be apart," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders again. "I don't like it."

Her scowl went away and she reached for me. I couldn't resist pulling her in close and holding her tight. "It's only for a few months and you know that I'm going to visit you all the time. And you're still going to come to our place whenever you can." I was. She'd talked about maybe moving in with Emmett and Blondie or Jasper and Shorty but we'd both decided for the sake of her sanity, it'd be best to keep our place. I preferred that anyway. The thought of them getting to spend time with her when I couldn't sort of pissed me off. I better not be sitting in a fucking condo in Cleveland while she was having the time of her life without me in Tally.

"It's just going to be weird, without you there."

She touched my cheek as she pulled back and looked up at me. "It'll be weird for me, too, but we'll get through it. I'm going to talk to you every night and I left the Chiefs so I can come see you play more easily. You're going to be so busy you'll hardly miss me."

I rolled my eyes and Reed Girl laughed. "Okay, so you'll miss me and I'll miss you. But you'll have Rainbow to keep you company."

I still wasn't sure how to feel about that. Part of me was happy and another part of me thought it was fucked up for a single man living on his own to have a cat. What would my new teammates say? "Yeah, about that…"

She shook her head. "Oh no, Cullen, we both know that if you're gone for more than a couple of days, Rainbow's going to ruin everything I own until she gets you back." It was fucking true. I'd gone to a quarterback clinic for two weeks over the summer last year and Rainbow had a shitfit, destroying a couch, peeing on some clothes, screaming at all hours of the night. She was crazy as fuck. When I came home, she refused to leave my side for several days. You'd have thought Reed Girl had been torturing her the entire time I was gone.

"But…"

"She loves you best and she tolerates me. She won't tolerate me without you. You're taking her." Yeah, I was and mostly I was happy about it. At least I wouldn't be totally alone. I'd just have to make sure my teammates never came over. I'd either be the pussy that had a pussy or the pussy whose girlfriend ruled him. I was both those fucking things and it was really a lot fucking cooler than I ever thought it would be, but they didn't need to know that.

"Alright." I glanced at my watch. "We need to get going if we're making that stop at Tiffany's to get your charm." And the other, much more important thing.

"Edward, you know I don't need another one."

"Yes, you do." We'd picked her up an ice skate to represent New York since I'd taken her skating at the park when I won my second Heisman and now we needed to commemorate this next step in our future.

"You spoil me too much."

I nuzzled her neck. "Never enough, baby. Let's go." My stomach had those stupid fucking flutters again. Was I really going to do this? I hadn't been sure until just seconds ago that I wanted to do it now. We'd talked about it, of course, but it was always in terms of "later" and not now, but later seemed to be here. I just didn't feel right, starting my new life and leaving her behind without something tangible to tie us together. More than words, that was. I wanted everyone to fucking know that even though I was wherever the fuck I was, she was mine and I was hers.

"Okay." She twined her fingers with mine and we headed out to start our future.

Xoxoxoxoxox

"It's impossible to choose." I laughed as she bent to examine yet another case. I'd have happily bought her every single one that she cooed over but she wouldn't let me and replaced each favorite with another favorite. I glanced at the cases toward the front of the store, where I planned to steer her after she chose her charm. It was time.

"There's the one with the NY that's cute but so is the apple and…" she babbled on as I leaned over to see what she was looking at. The perfect one caught my eye and my heart started to pound.

"That one," I interrupted, pointing where the perfect charm waited.

"What one?" she asked, looking confused. I couldn't blame her. There were a billion of the fucking things in there.

"There, the square one."

"What is that?" She leaned closer, her hair brushing across the glass case. The instant she saw it she gasped. "Is that a ring?"

Yes. Yes it was. It was clearly the top half of a diamond ring on a flat, square charm. "Yeah." I was committed now. I was doing this. I felt like I was going to fucking hurl all over the shiny glass, but I'd be damned if I was going to lose my shit. Fuck that noise.

She looked over at me, her beautiful brown eyes wide as hell. "How does that represent New York?" she asked quietly.

I tugged on her arm and pulled her off the case, turning her to face me. I could fucking do this. I was Edward fucking Cullen and she loved me. There was no way she'd say no, so why was I freaking the fuck out inside?

"Because, if you say yes, it'll be the place where we got engaged." Vaguely I heard a squeal from the saleswoman who'd been showing Reed Girl the billion charms but I tuned the chick out and focused on my girl who was still staring at me. Had I asked her? Sort of. Fuck. I'd better get it right or I'd never hear the end of it.

"Reed Girl, I love you." Her lips curved in a smile which made me feel marginally better, even though those fucking flutters were making me sick. "Today, we're going to find out just where we're going to start our future and I want to start it together." I took a deep breath and gave her it all. "I can survive the months without you if I know that at the end of it, you're going to be mine forever. Will you marry me?"

Holy fuck, I did it. Reed Girl was grinning like a fucking loon and her eyes were shining and shit so apparently I did well enough. The next thing I knew, she was in my arms and kissing me all over my face. "Yes!" she said over and over between kisses. Finally her lips met mine in a searing kiss that made me forget all about rings and audiences and NFL Drafts and made me want to take her right on one of those shiny glass cases.

"Congratulations!" Dimly I heard the salesgirl talking to us and I pulled back with my eyes on my grinning girl. "Would you like to see our engagement rings?"

I smirked and nodded when my girl's eyes got even bigger. "Yeah. And we'll take that charm, right baby?"

"Yes." She put her arms around my waist and burrowed into me. "I was already yours forever, without the ring, you know?"

"I know, but I like being official."

"Me too." I bent to kiss her and the flutters were still there but they felt more like the normal ones that I got when I was with her. My fiancé. My wife. Holy fuck.

"Let's go pick out a ring."

Xoxoxoxoxox

"Your mom's going to die," Reed Girl said gleefully as she studied the sparkling ring on her finger.

She really was. And I was a fucking genius asking my girl the way I had, because she had the ring she wanted and I didn't have to stress about that shit at all. Jasper was right, that was the way to go. He'd popped the question when Alice told him it was time a few months ago and he'd had the ring she'd put in his name at the fucking store. He'd dragged me with him because it was "what best friends did" and I'd just been thankful that we didn't have to pick that shit out on our own.

"Actually, Mom's going to scream and start calling wedding planners. The Grandmonster might die though." There was a fucking thought. Reed Girl saw the look on my face and elbowed me.

"Not nice."

"So, neither is she." Though I had to admit, she'd been better. We'd only seen the old bat twice since I threw down the gauntlet and she'd been decent, I guess. She bit her tongue and didn't say any of the shit she was probably thinking, at least.

"We're better than she is," my girl reminded me as we followed the attendants down to the green room.

"True." I brushed my lips across her knuckles right above the ring. "Fuck, this looks good on you."

Reed Girl laughed. "It's beautiful. And too expensive, but I'm finding it hard to care." She wiggled her finger and the big rectangular diamond flashed in the light.

I snorted. "Baby, I'm about to become a multi-millionaire. Don't sweat it." Plus I'd gotten my trust when I turned twenty-one. Money was hardly an issue.

"I know, it's just that your grandmother…"

"Won't say a word if she knows what's good for her." The doors opened and I saw my mom pacing in front of our table. "Come on, baby. Let's go make my mom's life. And your dad's. You'd better call him shortly." Charlie already knew I intended to marry Reed Girl, so I hadn't asked his permission or any of that shit. Fuck that noise. He'd probably accept for her and fight with my mom over wedding colors or some fucking insanity.

She laughed and squeezed my hand. "I will. Let's go let your mom scream first, and then my dad can."

"There you are! I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to make it!" Mom enveloped me in a hug and held me tight. "I can't believe this day is here."

I grinned at my father who was rolling his eyes behind her back. "We had an important stop to make."

"Oh, that's right." Mom released me and turned to Reed Girl. "What charm did you pick out?"

Reed Girl said nothing, holding out her right wrist so Mom could see for herself. Mom pawed through the charms and paused when she got to the right one. "Really?" she yelled, practically tackling my girl to the floor as she hugged her. I caught them both to keep them from falling.

"Yes!" Then they were both jumping up and down creating a hell of a spectacle as Reed Girl showed my mom her ring.

"Oh, it's gorgeous! Oh my God, how did he propose?" And they were off, chattering away as if I wasn't even there.

Dad clapped me on the back and pulled me into a half hug. "Congratulations, son. I couldn't be happier for you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Emmett lifted me up from behind and twirled me around like I weighed ten pounds. "You finally did it! Way to go, little bro."

When he finally put me down, I turned and glared at him. "Finally? It's not like you've manned up yet."

"Yeah, Emmett." Blondie elbowed him aside before hugging me. I patted her back and she released me. "You did good, Cullen."

"Thanks, Blondie." Mom finally finished with Reed Girl so I pulled her back to me. "Can I have my fiancé back?"

"Fiance!" Mom dabbed at her wet eyes and threw her arms around me again. "I'm so happy! You're going to be so happy. This is just perfect! When were you thinking of getting married?"

"Mom, we just got engaged and don't even know where we'll be living yet. Give us a few."

Dad laughed and pulled Mom off me. "She's just excited. She'll calm down eventually." He shook his head behind her back and did the crazy symbol. Yeah, we both knew she'd never calm the fuck down.

"Right, but it's never too early to start thinking about when and where. There's the club or the summer house in Maine or…" I tuned her out and focused on the Grandmonster who was sitting silently at our designated table, her lips in a thin line. I didn't know lips could look like that.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me, Grandmother?" I called obnoxiously. My girl giggled quietly behind me and Mom stopped her wedding planning to turn and look at the Grandmonster. Grandpa patted her back and stood, holding out a hand.

"Congratulations Edward. Welcome to the family, Bella. We're happy to have you."

Grandmother just nodded tightly and attempted a smile that looked more like a grimace. What the fuck ever. At least she wasn't calling my girl a gold digger. "Thanks, Grandpa. Grandmother."

"Everybody take your seats. We'll be on the air in two minutes!" some annoying loud chick yelled. It was time. I pulled out a chair for Reed Girl and sat down next to her. She immediately slipped her hand in mine and I ran my thumb over her ring. Just feeling it there calmed me.

"Have you talked to the Browns yet?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. "Not since yesterday. They told me that if they picked number one, it'd be me, but they haven't called yet tonight."

"Maybe they're talking trades." Emmett rubbed his hands together. "This is awesome."

I felt bad that he'd missed out on it. His knee wasn't going to hold up, so he was staying on at FSU as a coach. Thankfully he loved it.

Everybody in the room sat up a little straighter as the commissioner was announced. "Welcome to the 2014 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns are on the clock."

I put my phone on the table in front of me. This was going to be the longest ten minutes of my entire life.

"They aren't taking someone else are they?" Mom asked, looking worried.

"Not if they want to keep their fans," Dad told her, laughing. "I don't think there's one mock draft out there that doesn't have Edward as number one."

I smirked and whispered, "That's the way it should be" at my girl who laughed and elbowed me.

"So egotistical."

"You love that about me."

"I tolerate that about you." I raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "Okay, I like it sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Before she could answer, my phone rang. Here we fucking go.

"Answer it!" Mom hollered, making the whole room of prospects and their families laugh. I squeezed Reed Girl's hand and answered the phone.

"Hello."

"Edward, this is Coach Coughlin." Coughlin? But…no. Really?

"Hi, Coach." Was that my voice? Yes, thank fuck it hadn't cracked.

"How would you like to be a New York Giant?" My heart was truly fucking pounding now. The Giants were only two years from winning the Super Bowl and they were stacked. Eli had regressed in the past couple of years, but they still made the playoffs each year. Maybe his shoulder injury was worse than everyone thought. Or maybe someone was fucking with me. No. No way. This was happening.

"I'd love that," I told him honestly, because holy fuck, was that better than going to Cleveland. A playoff team, New York City, Giant blue…fuck yes.

"Well good, because I'm trading almost my entire draft to get you. Are you ready to take us back to the Super Bowl?"

"Yes, sir." My mind was reeling, but somehow I was still sitting upright.

"Good. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the office first thing tomorrow."

"I'll be there. Thank you, Coach."

"You can thank me by winning. Get ready to work your ass off, Cullen."

"I will. Bye." I sat there dazed as my entire family stared at me.

"Well? Who was it? What did they say?" my brother demanded.

I blinked a few times and then turned to my girl, who looked terrified. "Cleveland?" she asked quietly.

I toyed with fucking with her for a few minutes but it was probably not a good idea to piss my fiancé off within an hour of getting engaged.

"The Giants."

"Holy shit! That's awesome!" Emmett shouted. Reed Girl was positively glowing as she threw her arms around me. Our table exploded with questions that I didn't have the answers to, but before I could say anything else, Roger Goodell stepped back on the stage.

"Hush!" Mom called, sitting forward.

"We have a trade." Everyone in the room around us started murmuring, wondering what had happened and who'd moved up and what it did to them as a result. "The Cleveland Browns have traded the number one pick to the New York Giants, and with that pick, they select…" he paused for dramatic effect even though anybody with a brain knew what was about to happen. "Edward Cullen, quarterback from Florida State University."

My table broke out into loud applause and I stood and kissed my girl thoroughly before getting hugs from everyone at the table, including the Grandmonster.

"I'm so proud of you," Mom murmured.

I laughed. "For getting drafted or getting engaged?" I hadn't forgotten her reaction to my first championship.

She smiled. "Both." She started murmuring something about The Plaza and I turned away from her.

I was rather proud of both as well. Reed Girl came back into my arms, hugging me tight. "I love you and I'm so excited to start our futures right here."

"Technically we'll be in Jersey but it works," I told her, kissing her again.

"Get up there so you can hurry up and come back to me so we can celebrate."

Damn right. I wanted engagement sex. And draft sex. And more engagement sex. "We have a lot of celebrating to do."

"I'll take care of you," she promised, a sexy smile on her face.

Hell yeah. I brushed my hand across her ass before hurrying out onto the stage and putting on the Giant's cap. Roger shook my hand and said congratulations and we posed as cameras flashed and I held up the number one Giants jersey. I looked over to see my girl and my whole family waiting in the wings, big smiles on their faces. Reed Girl already had a Giants jersey on over her dress, too, looking hot as fuck as always.

As many times as I'd dreamed of this day happening, it had never been this perfect. I was going to play for one of the best teams in the National Football League. I was going to live right outside or hell, maybe even in New York City. And I had the sexiest, most beautiful fiancé in the world. The future was even brighter than the past, which hadn't exactly sucked. I couldn't wait to get started.


A/N That sounded an awful lot like the last chapter, didn't it? I know I said two, but that was before I decided that even though this particular story is ending, I don't feel like I've had enough of the Cockyback and his Reed Girl. Therefore, I've decided to write a sequel all about life in NY/Jersey, marriage and all that holds for these two. It won't be right away. I promised to expand Poison and that's first in the queue after I write a couple of outtakes for this one (yes, Rainbow is coming!). But I want more of these guys and it seems many of you do as well, so more there shall be! Put me on alert or look for news on Twitter and Facebook as to when that'll be!

Also, no offense meant to Browns fans! My dad is a Browns fan and grew up in Cleveland so I had to poke some fun for his sake! :)

Today in America is Thanksgiving so I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate it than by posting this final chapter of SC and telling you all Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I never would have guessed a few years ago when I found this fandom that I'd be writing stories that so many of you enjoyed, or that doing so would lead to the dream of having a novel published. You guys, your support and feedback and just fabulous awesomeness made that possible, so know that on this day of thanks, I'm thankful for every one of you. Special thanks to my lovely prereaders; Angela, Mary, Ashley, Whitney and Caren, who made this story better and put up with my typos since I fire it off to them without self editing first. You guys rule and I appreciate you more than I can ever say.

Outtakes coming very soon! Thanks again and I hope I see you for round 2 of Reed Girl & Cockyback! Thank you!