Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own these characters. This story is not meant to violate the rights held by Stephenie Meyer.

Note: I want to thank you all so much for the response. Many can relate to Bella, and thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Break in the Clouds

Edward was thoroughly ticked off. And frustrated. In his pants.

Eric had gone out for a smoke and evidently tracked down Bella Cullen on the way.

My cousin's little wife.

And her dress . . .

Edward wanted to look beneath that sweater she wore to cover herself up. Seated across from him, all he could see were her curves. And her legs when she'd walked in earlier.

He wanted those wrapped around him as he fucked her into next week.

"Here's your drink, Isabella." Eric sat down next to her and flung his arm over her shoulders. "You look like you had a rough night."

"Thank you," she mumbled and took a sip from her whiskey sour. "And it's Bella. You can call me Bella."

"Well, Bella . . ." Eric went in for the kill. "That's fitting. Did you know it means beautiful in Italian?"

Edward didn't know whether to laugh or kick Eric's ass.

Bella seemed uncomfortable.

"Lay off, kid," Jasper laughed. "She doesn't need your lame pick-up lines." Seated to her left, he moved his chair a few inches closer to Bella. "Ignore Eric, sweetheart. He's still wet behind the ears."

"And what do you have to offer her, Whitlock?" Eric raised a brow. "A gift card to your store? Alimony bills for your ex-wife? Babysitting duties?"

While Jasper and Eric got into a heated argument, Jacob was next, and he sat next to Edward on the other side of the table.

"What's the story between you Cullens?" His eyes flicked between Edward and Bella. "You guys related?"

Edward wasn't surprised that not everyone knew. Firstly, who gave a shit when people had their own problems? Secondly, their family issues were nothing they advertised.

"She's married to Carlisle, who happens to be my cousin." Edward chugged the last of his beer and sat back with an expression that would let Bella know he didn't want her here. Too fucking tempting. "Bella here is his little trophy wife."

#

Ouch. That hurt. But Bella couldn't show it. Lowering her gaze, she focused on her drink and removed the orange slice. She placed it on her napkin, wondering what the hell she was doing. Why had she agreed to follow Eric in here?

Because you crave attention. You're starved for it.

She let out a soft breath, knowing that was true. More than that, she wanted to feel alive.

Insults from her husband's very handsome cousin weren't going to kick-start her heart, though.

The few times she'd allowed herself to fantasize about him, he hadn't been rude. Firm, rough, demanding, rugged, dirty . . . but not mean.

Wake up and smell the shit, Bella. There's a difference between fantasy and reality.

"Excuse me," she stuttered and got up from her seat. She was suddenly close to tears again, and nobody but she was allowed to see that. "I just need to . . ." She didn't end the sentence; instead she crossed the bar and aimed for the bathrooms.

#

For a moment, the men watched her walk away.

Then Jacob gave Edward's chest a backhanded slap hard enough to make him jump and hiss at the pain.

"What the fuck, man?"

"Don't you know women at all, ya big fucking ass?" Jacob sneered. "You can't be an almost forty-year-old man – a married one at that! – and not know when to shut the fuck up!"

"Eat shit," Edward spat out. "I'm thirty-six."

"For another month," Jasper drawled.

"And that's what's relevant." Mike smirked. "Cullen's age."

"I'll go see if she's okay," Eric said and started to rise, but Jacob had him slumping down with a simple glare. "Or I'll stay here."

"Edward's going to make sure Bella's all right." Jacob squeezed Edward's shoulder. Not in a very friendly way. "You're gonna march over there, you fuckwit, and apologize for calling her a trophy wife."

Edward took on an incredulous expression. "Since when do you care?"

And Tyler, who'd been watching silently and was pleasantly surprised at how . . . well, nice Jacob was being – and genuine – was soon deflated by Jacob's response.

He shrugged. "Bella sometimes babysits our kids. If she didn't, I'd never be able to fuck Leah." He waggles his eyebrows. "Bella's good material for the spank bank, too."

"So, you practically know Bella, but you didn't know how the Cullens were related?" Jasper chuckled.

Jacob snorted. "I don't need to know a woman in order to wanna give it to her."

"You wanna fuck Bella?" The question surprised many – mostly Edward, who had asked.

"Who wouldn't?!" Jacob guffawed. "Fat chicks are good like that. They'll give you anything to make sure you don't leave. Plus," another shrug, "she's kinda fine. Those tits?" He whistled.

For reasons unknown to Edward, he wanted to shove his boot up Jacob's ass, but he refrained. What he did do was get up and stride toward the bathrooms.

He had no fucking clue what he was gonna say, but . . . he'd think of something. Hopefully.

Women . . . always so fucking sensitive.

Fanfiction written by AnotherPen, beta'd by InFlight75, pre-read by LAchick85 – we usually go by other names in the fandom.