Kelsey stood staring, she tried to be subtle but failing miserably, she just stood transfixed. A few minutes ago Charles had pulled Liza away to talk; 'just for a minute'. There they were standing by the false wall in the beer hall, Liza leaning against the wall and Charles rocking back on heels. Kelsey knew she should move away, it was a private conversation, but she didn't understand anything about why Liza had even been with Charles in the first place, and her curiosity trumped the desire to the right thing by her friend.
Listening intently she heard Charles say "please stop avoiding me" as he reaching out with his right hand, but quickly changed his mind and put his hands in his pockets instead. Liza stuttered, looking unsure with her hands clasped around her elbows, "Charles … I … I just …" Charles interrupted "I understand that we can't be … all the things I, we, want us to be – yet." He took a deep breathe, and Kelsey watched as Liza's gaze suddenly became unwavering, and her hands twitched like she wanted to reach out to him. After what felt like an eternity Charles finally continued "I just I miss seeing you smile, and hearing about what you're reading, and watching you make Diana's coffee, I miss watching you walk away, and and and looking at me and …" Kelsey chuckled as Charles rambled until he ran out of words, and then she just stopped, silent, scrutinizing every little thing as Liza and Charles looked at each other, hands twitching, feet rocking, and faces – pained. She watched as Liza's teeth dug into her bottom lip, and suddenly her eyes diverted towards Kelsey, making Kelsey feel like a snoop, and suddenly very interested in her own shoes. Then she heard it, the drop in Liza's voice, it sounded almost like she was, trying to hold back tears "I miss you too", Liza took a deep breath, sighed, breathed in again, "Kelsey's waiting for me, I have to go."
Liza walked away, eyes downcast, and as she met Kelsey and they fell into step together, still refusing to look up. Kelsey tried to reach out, "Liza, listen – " but was interrupted by Liza's voice, devoid of its normal cheerful melody "not now Kels". Taken aback, Kelsey glanced back at Charles, still standing there where Liza had left him, completely unmoving except for his eyes that were following Liza as they left, glassy, like he was holding back tears too.
'Well, shit' she thought.