A/N Happy Football Day! It's made even happier for me by the fact that my Noles managed to come back and win against ND. Of course I didn't watch it, seeing as they choose to play like crap when I do. And the fam ran me ragged this weekend so I went to sleep at 10. I'm such a party animal. haha But I was happy when my phone alerted me to the win just after midnight. I was sweating that game hard, so I'm extremely happy to escape with a win and for once the refs didn't smile on the Irish as they usually do.

Injuries! That's what fantasy football comes down to, really. So many big names banged up. Le sigh. I'm not playing Jimmy Graham, so if you have him, you probably should start him since he'll get 2 td's or something just to punish me for benching him. Jordan Cameron did that to me last week. haha It's a good thing I love fantasy or I'd hate it :)

Anyway, hope you've had a great weekend and have a great week ahead. I have an interview running on ADF this week, if you're interested in reading! I talk a bit about Rainbow and Edward, haha. Maybe Edward will talk a bit about Rainbow...let's read on and see! See you next week!

Getting Blitzed Chapter 7

"You ready, man?"

I nodded at Sammy, just soaking it all in. It had been far too long since I'd stood on a football field to play a game that meant something. Well, admittedly, a pre-season game didn't mean a lot, but still. I was the starting quarterback of the New York Giants, in my new stadium, ready to put on a show, for as long as they let me play.

"Be sure to get me the ball early and often. I'm feeling hot!"

I smirked at that one. If anybody was hot here, it was me. I had to admit, I looked damn good in Giants' blue. Thank God the Giants had traded up to get me. Mud brown didn't look good on anybody, not even me.

"Try not to make us look bad, rook."

I didn't even bother replying to Colin. I wasn't talking to that fucker after the shit he'd pulled with the topless maid.

"Oh, are you still giving me the silent treatment? It was just a little joke. I knew your girl was gone, so I thought you'd at least like to see some naked breasts, to tide you over until she returned."

Whatever. "Unlike you, I don't have to pay to get chicks naked."

Sammy laughed. "He has a point. Just how often do you use that service yourself?"

"I believe in having the breast cleaning service man can buy! A man's home is his castle, and if he can have naked females in that castle making it clean, how is that wrong?"

Colin's expression was so earnest that even I couldn't help but laugh. He had somewhat of a point, even if he was an asshole. Had I been single, I probably would have enjoyed the cleaning demonstration, though I never would have paid for it. Edward Cullen didn't have to pay to get girls naked. Ever. Hell, I'd never even had to take them to dinner first.

"Yeah, but have you ever had one of them proposition you while your cat was going apeshit and trying to attack her while your fiancée was a thousand miles away?"

Several pairs of eyes got rather large at my question. "What?"

"Did you just say you had a cat?" Sammy asked, looking at me like I'd grown another head.

Fuck. Had I? Shit. I had. "Uhhh…"

"You have a cat?" Colin practically shouted. Several nearby players turned our way.

Fucking hell. What had I done? I just shrugged and started tossing the ball to Paul twenty yards away.

"Cullen, if you'd told me you had a pussy at home, I wouldn't have recommended the cleaning service! Tell me about her. I bet you can make her purr like nobody's business!"

I chucked the ball at Colin's head, and he just managed to bat it away before it hit him in the face.

"Seriously, man, is this why you never let us come over to your sweet pad at Crystal Point? You don't want us to see that you've got a cat?" Brady asked.

Damn right it was. No single guy I knew had a cat. They'd think I was weird or had issues or something. This was why I'd never mentioned Rainbow.

"She's not mine. She's Bella's." That was my story and I was sticking to it.

"If she's Bella's, why isn't she in Tallahassee with her?" Damn it, Sammy, you weren't supposed to ask that.

Fucking hell. "She has behavioral issues and she's just better with me." There. That was mostly true without making me sound like the utter pussy they clearly thought I was for having a cat at home by myself.

"I don't get it."

Of course they didn't get it. It wasn't gettable.

"What's her name?"

Fucking hell. That was the last thing I wanted to tell them after telling them I had a cat in the first place. This was all my brother's fault. His and Jasper's. If they weren't such fucking morons, she wouldn't have such a fucked-up name.

"What does that matter? We have a game to play, don't we? Why are we sitting around discussing my fiancée's pet?"

"You're the one who brought her up, dude."

Fuck off, Brady. It wasn't on purpose.

"And if she was really Bella's, she'd be with instead of you. Is she yours? Are you ashamed of your pet, Cullen? I have a pit bull and a Doberman at home. I'm not ashamed to tell you that."

Damn it. Paul was standing there along with JPP and a few of the defensive guys now. Everybody was listening to this fucked-up conversation.

"I bet she has a super cute name, like Precious or Mrs. Cuddlebottom."

Fuck. Paul wasn't that far off, although Cuddlebottom was just insane.

"Why are we discussing this? We have a game to play."

"Just tell us your pussy's name, and we'll leave you alone." Colin smiled at me mischievously. I didn't trust that smile one bit. Fuck this noise.

"Fuck it. Her name is Rainbow. She was named that by my brother, who was going to give her to his ex, but somehow that didn't work out. And she is Bella's, but she has an unholy attachment to me. So much so that there was no way I could leave her in Tally while I was here. So Bella made me bring her with me. She's as protective as any pit bull, and she's fucking crazy, but she's also kinda awesome. She attacked the aggressive cleaning lady and Bella's ex and Jasper and will take out anyone else who pisses me off. She's better than all your fucking pets put together. And I'm not fucking embarrassed, and I'd like to play a goddamn football game instead of standing around talking like the pussy you all think I am."

Everyone was staring at me after I finished my rant. Sammy actually raised his hand, making me stifle a laugh.

"What?"

"She sounds like fun. Can I meet her?"

"Maybe. But I won't be held accountable to her reaction to you. Naked maid got her tit sliced open. You're taking your life in your own hands."

"Cool. Maybe you should bring her and let her rip into your PR stalker." That wasn't the worst idea Sammy had ever had.

"What are you all standing around for?" Saved by the bell. Or the coach, in this case.

"Nothing," I assured him, gesturing to Paul and Sammy to run some routes.

"We were just talking about Cullen's pussy, Coach."

I flipped off Colin behind Coach's back, hurrying to put my finger down before he turned to me.

"Call me old school, but I don't like to hear any woman referred to that way."

Like fucking hell I'd let anybody talk about Reed Girl that way. "He's not talking about Bella, Coach. He's talking about her cat."

"His cat," Colin corrected.

"Whatever. I'd kick his ass if he was actually referring to Bella."

Coach nodded. "Good. I'd let you. She seems like a great girl."

The fucking best. "She is."

"Good. Now put her out of your mind and go show me what you've got. I'm not just handing you the starting position, you know. Montoya is a solid vet."

Juan Montoya had been a late round pick seven years ago who'd never been anything but a back-up. He'd gone 1-2 in relief for Eli last year. I wasn't remotely threatened.

I snickered, and Coach pointed a finger at me. "I mean it, Cullen. Don't fuck up out there."

"I won't. How long do I get to play?"

"You get a quarter to start. I'll re-evaluate then."

"Not a problem." I'd own my quarter.

xoxoxoxoxox

It felt oddly the same but different as I watched the captains line up for the coin toss. It was different because I wasn't out there yet, even though I was the quarterback. You had to earn your captaincy, and I had every intention of doing so this year. We won the toss and elected to go on offense to start the game. Thank fuck. I was itching to get on the field.

"All right, Cullen. You're up."

I trotted onto the field, basking in the roar of the crowd. I knew they were pretty excited about having me around here. My jersey was the number-one seller for all rookies, and I fully intended to be at the top of all sales before long. Edward Cullen was here, and it was time the league knew it.

I huddled with my men, calling the boring-ass running play that the OC was calling for though my helmet. If it were college, I would totally have ignored that shit and run my own play. But I knew better than to test Coach before the job was officially mine.

We lined up, and I went into my cadence. Colin snapped the ball on my signal, and I handed it off to Jennings. He ran straight into the line, where a small hole had opened between Colin and Brady. He whipped off seven yards before the Steelers' linebacker took him down.

Second and three. Coach actually showed some balls and called for a screen to Jennings. At least I'd finally get to throw. I got behind center and took a three-step drop when the ball hit my hands. Jennings cut in from the left, and I hit him for a six-yard gain. First down. Fuck yeah.

I wanted to shout in triumph when the next play was called. They wanted Paul to run a deep route while Sammy cut in about fifteen yards deep as a safety net if the long ball wasn't there. I kept my face schooled in a professional mask when I called the play in the huddle.

Paul said something that sounded like hell yeah as we broke and lined up. I took a five-step drop after I had the ball, looking left the whole time to throw off the safety. I could see Paul out of the corner of my eye, and he had a step on Bird. I let the ball fly just as the force of a Mack truck slammed into me. Fuck.

I couldn't see since I was buried under about six hundred pounds of Steelers' defensive lineman, but the roar of the crowd let me know that my pass had been complete. I waited until Cameron's fat ass was hauled off me and Brady helped me up, slapping me on the back.

"Nice fucking throw!" And it had been. I watched the replay on the Jumbotron as my pass sailed into Paul's arms. He'd streaked the rest of the way into the end zone. It was just that easy.

I jogged off the field, taking the slaps and words of congratulations along the way.

"You almost held the ball for too long," were Coach's first words to me. Of fucking course.

"As soon as I saw he had the separation, I let it go."

He nodded. "It was a nice throw. With time, you'll be able to let it go without the separation. You have to know your receivers as well as you know yourself. He'll get open, and if he doesn't, the pass will be incomplete. Don't take any risks."

"I won't."

"Good. Go see Coach Thomas."

I went and looked at the video of the plays I'd run while the defense took the field. He showed me the defensive schemes they were running, and we talked about the tells the mike linebacker gave when the blitz was on. He rocked back on his heels a bit, hoping to get a more powerful push-off at the snap of the ball. It was something I could watch for.

The defense gave up a field goal, and we got the ball back at our own twenty after a touchback. I lined up behind Colin and handed off to Jennings, who got stuffed at the line for no gain.

My eyes were on the middle linebacker as I took my position. We were going to screen to Sammy, with Paul and Embry acting as decoys to pull off the corners and safeties. Sammy against the linebackers was a mismatch I couldn't wait to exploit. He was a speed demon. Brooks rocked back on his heels, and I knew they were going to bring the heat. A perfect time for a screen. I got the ball and immediately whipped it to Sammy. He broke off a twenty-two-yard run after the catch for a gain of thirty. It was a thing of beauty. We were already at mid-field.

A running play, gain of five, had us second and five at their forty-five. Not far from field goal range. Coach gave me a shot, calling for a post route to Embry over on the left hash. They'd been burned by the blitz a couple plays ago, and Brooks kept his feet still, so the heat wasn't coming. I took five steps back. Embry broke in but stumbled, falling on the play. Fuck. I couldn't see it, but I had the sense I'd always had that pressure was coming at me hard. I back-pedaled and saw my safety valve, Jennings, open on the left side just as someone slammed into me from the right. I let the ball fly in his direction, praying it would find its target.

The groan from the crowd let me know that wasn't the case. I pushed myself up and watched as Brooks streaked past. Fuck me. Sammy tried to chase him down, but he'd been too far downfield to be of any use. Pick six. I couldn't remember the last time I'd thrown one of those.

The words of congratulations weren't there this time as I jogged off the field. One look at Coach's face told me all I needed to know. He was purple.

"What the fuck was that?" he shouted, getting in my face immediately.

"I tried to check down-"

"As you were getting sacked! Who do you think you are? Favre? You know better than to try to pull off a miracle throw as you're going down. You protect the fucking ball!"

He was right. I did know better. Sure, occasionally the pass would find its target, but it was a low-percentage throw. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"What you are is done. Go see Thomas and review how fucking stupid that throw was for the next few quarters."

"But-"

"Go!"

I figured I'd fucking better before he had an aneurism right there on the sideline. Fuck. He couldn't be any more pissed at me than I was. How many times had I been in that position in my life? Countless. And I'd never once thrown a pick six. Sometimes I'd taken the sack, sometimes I'd completed the pass, and a few times it had been incomplete. A pick fucking six. Fucking awful.

I barely even noticed the rest of the game as I studied every move I'd made in my shortened outing. I hadn't even made it the whole quarter. I went straight to Coach's office after the game, going over everything again, reiterating the fact that I wouldn't have a mental fuck up like that again. He promised me that if I didn't, I'd get a whole half next week, and I wanted it. I needed it if I was going to be the starting quarterback.

After that meeting, I'd been fortunate to get to avoid the press. Coach had taken the heat for me, and I'd wandered back to the locker room, wishing like hell that Reed Girl would be waiting for me there. But no, it was empty. I showered and went to my locker, changing into my clothes before picking up my phone. I turned it on, and it immediately started chirping with missed messages and texts.

I glanced at the first text without much interest.

I'm watching you right now.

What the fuck? I looked at the name and shook my head. Fucking Jasper. Only he could make watching my game creepy. Freak.

I'm wearing my brand new Cullen 7 jersey.

Gross! Didn't he know that…oh, thank fuck. That one was from Reed Girl. I wished I could see her in nothing but my jersey. Burying myself inside her and forgetting about this fucked-up game was all I wanted to do.

Her next text had me aching even more for her.

I'm sorry. Call me when you get home. I love you.

I tried calling from the car, but she didn't answer. That had me more depressed, and even the sight of Rainbow waiting for me when I got home didn't help overly much. I still picked her up and let her head-butt me, but I was too busy reliving the play in my mind to be comforted by it.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out.

Meet me on Skype, now.

I hopped up from the couch, hurrying to the bedroom. I got out my iPad and called up Skype, clicking on Reed Girl's name and nearly sighing with relief when the call connected. Then she came into view, and I forgot pretty much everything I knew. Because there was my girl, lying on our bed in nothing but my Giants jersey.

She shot me a sympathetic smile that turned into a laugh when Rainbow leaped up and joined me on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shrugged and started to pet Rainbow as I looked into my girl's beautiful brown eyes. "I blew it."

"You made a bad throw. If your coach hadn't been an asshole, you'd have gone right back in and scored a touchdown just like you did on the first drive."

Her outrage made me smile. "He was pissed. I made a rookie mistake, and I shouldn't have."

"But you are a rookie!"

My laugh died off as she threw her hands up and the jersey went high up on her thigh. What were we talking about? Oh, right.

"I meant, like a twelve-year-old should know better. Not a rookie, rookie. I know better than that."

"Maybe you do, but he still should have given you a chance to make it right."

"He promised me a full half next week, provided I don't do anything that stupid again."

"Good. You're gonna kick ass next week. I just know it."

I smiled at her. Nobody could make me feel as good as she did. Her faith in me was all I really needed.

"You know, you're awfully distracting dressed like that."

She giggled. "I hoped you'd think so! I have to admit, this is a first for us. I've never had to comfort you after a bad game before."

It was true. I hadn't lost in the entire time she'd known me. Hell, I couldn't remember the last time I'd lost.

"You picked a surefire way to do so."

She laughed again. "I thought it might help. I'm sorry I'm not there."

"Me, too."

Rainbow apparently didn't like that I'd stopped petting her. She climbed up me and put a paw on my face.

"Looks like our girl is doing her best to stand in for me."

I shook my head and Rainbow head-butted me again. "Nobody ever could, not even Rainbow." But her purring and rubbing against my face didn't hurt. "But she helps a little, too."

"I figured you'd need her until I could join you both. You'll take care of Daddy, won't you, Rainbow?"

Speaking of… I groaned. "I slipped and told the guys about her."

Reed Girl giggled madly at that. "You have to tell me that story."

So, I sat back, Reed Girl in front of me and Rainbow in my arms, and told her the story. By the end, we were both laughing and Rainbow was curled into her spot on my neck. My girls came through for me, just like they always did.