Because everyone wants to be noticed.

EPOV

I'm walking down the street and my stomach grumbles. I'm headed over to my mom's later though so I don't want to spoil my appetite.

Still, my hunger doesn't abate with the promise of a home-cooked meal later on. So, I step in to the little coffee shop that I always pass but have never entered. It's called Little Bean.

After ordering a small coffee and a blueberry muffin, I have a seat near the fireplace. It's rather cold out today and stupidly, I've been protesting the winter winds by refusing to wear a coat yet; it feels too soon.

My thoughts inevitably wander to work. I'm happy that now, I finally have more free time on my hands. Idly, I consider hobbies that I might want to pick up. When I first started out at the company, I was just an intern with high hopes and a hell of a lot to prove. Now at age 29, I'm at the head of my Accounting Department and while the stresses of my job are enough to keep me more than busy, I'm content in knowing that there'll be no ladder climbing for me for a while.

And that's just what I am in every aspect of my life: content. It may be a little lonely at times, but I'm proud of my accomplishments.

I look around the coffee shop and take note that it has a warm, cozy feel to it. But then again, that might just be the fireplace talking, granting me a reprieve from the cool Seattle winds from outside. Still, it's a charming little place and I wonder why I've never thought to step in here before.

And in my quick perusal of the shop, I see her.

I see the most beautiful creature I've ever set my eyes on. That's the first thing my eyes notice.

She has pale, nearly translucent skin, like nothing I've ever seen before. It's absolutely flawless. Her thick, shiny brown hair frames her heart shaped face. Her little button nose is scrunched up in thought and I wonder if she knows how adorable she looks right now. Her full bottom lip is trapped between her teeth and I feel the urge to know what has her so distressed.

The second thing my eyes notice is that she's sitting on the opposite end of the shop near the only other fireplace. She's crouched over, in a slightly hunched position, completely lost in her thoughts. Interestingly, like no one else in the shop, save me, she's not doing anything; no cell phone on which to check messages, no laptop on which to check emails, no book, no newspaper, not even a coffee on which to sip, nothing. Just herself and her thoughts.

Lastly, I take note of her figure. She's much too thin. She's all skin and bones and it doesn't look natural; no, she must be malnourished. Her pink sweater absolutely swallows her whole.

Abruptly, as if shaking herself out of her thoughts, she stands up to turn around.

Immediately, I panic, thinking that I haven't even had the chance to talk to her yet. I somehow inherently know that I can't let her go and I sure as hell won't let her go without talking to her first.

My panic subsides though when I notice that she's only headed for the ladies' room. And when it does, I notice that she has a really cute butt.

I put my feet up on a nearby table and wait her out. As she walks back in to the room, her eyes are trained firmly on the ground and I need to know whether this is the way she always walks or if she's had a particularly rough day.

And just as she's about to sit down, her gaze shifts upward, like she can feel my gaze on her, and our eyes meet.

And they're the prettiest eyes I've ever seen.

They're big and wide and brown and blinking and inquisitive and confused and searching and… they're gone.

Before she can drop her gaze though, I notice that something is terribly, terribly wrong.

We have yet to utter a single word to each other but her eyes have already said it all. She's hurting and hurting deeply and what I wouldn't give to know what it's over.

I hope it's not something over a boyfriend. In fact, I would hate if that "something wrong" is about a boyfriend.

I can tell that I've made her uncomfortable with my staring though; she's trying her best to look anywhere but me and she's almost successful.

Summoning the courage from somewhere deep within, I decide that it would be rude to not at least say something to her, you know, verbally, what with all of the unspoken messages we've been shooting at each other. That's complete bull though because I know I would talk to her with or without the blatant staring that just happened.

And with that, I toss my empty coffee cup in a nearby trashcan and pick up my food to make my way across the room.

A/N: I'm a complete idiot for starting another story, aren't I? Please leave me a review letting me know what you think. I already have the next few chapters written out and with some minor editing, they'll be posted soon.