Oh, you can push and pull me in conversations

 "Really, I think it's enough that we have KC and Ruby to deal with," Brick said on their drive down to Lincoln to see Izzy on a late Friday afternoon. After all, the traffic was heavy yet Harley didn't seem to mind at all.

"But it's been ages," Harley told him. "She didn't even come home for Christmas."

"Well, maybe things are that great for her and Link, you know." Brick kept his eye on the road. He finally had a free Friday without a basketball game and here he was driving down to the University.

"You know, Link went to Ireland," Harley reminded him they weren't exactly together anymore. "She only said very little to me. I think I might have made her mad. But she said it was fine if we came to visit." Of course, Harley spent money on fresh fruit and veg and even some rolls at the bakery. 

"You're just too good to her," Brick winced. He knew he was right. Maybe he was too good himself and it was all Harley's fault.

Soon enough they were at Izzy's apartment. It would feel so odd without Link here. Honestly, Brick didn't know what he was supposed to do. Let the girls have their fun while he checked out what was on Netflix.

But to their surprise, there was someone at Izzy's.  

"He's a drama major," she told them without skipping a beat. He was her new roommate, and his name was Cowan who was a wee bit scruffy in his old thrifted sweater and khakis. 

Of course, Cowan got into the grapes first. He was pretty easy going and it didn't seem to bother him that Brick towered over him. 

Brick knew Link (Izzy's boyfriend) back in high school. It was hard to be nice to this guy who didn't seem bothered that Izzy had a boyfriend.

Brick went to sit in the livingroom while the girls went off to the kitchen. Naturally, Brick wanted to know what they were talking about. But Cowan just made the TV louder. It was one of those channels on TV that you could get for free with an antenna. 

Brick knew Link liked his streaming channels. Especially, the sports one, but Cowan was watching old episodes of Frazier and he laughed out loud as he tossed a grape in his mouth. 

Brick bit a grin. This was just too crazy. What would Link think?

"Oh, he's gay you know," Izzy said first thing about Cowan while she was making the Celestal tea for Harley. She felt bad for saying it, but she couldn't help herself. "It doesn't matter does it?"

"No..no..no..not at all," Harley always knew the right thing to say as she waited for her hot tea to cool at the cozy little dining booth by the window of Izzy's precious apartment. "Do you ever hear from Link anymore?"

Izzy let her tea bag dance a bit in her cup before she took a sip and then said, "Not really." 

Oh, she'd done her best to make it a clean breakup. She didn't want her friends back home to worry. She hadn't meant to be so misleading. "I let him go you know, it's the right thing to do. He'll learn so much there, and I-"

Link was off in Ireland, possibly going to be on a major soccer team someday. It was his new life. Why would he ever think of his old one with her? Yes, she simply moved on, didn't she?

Izzy really didn't know how to finish that sentence. It was Link who said it was over. "Let's make it a clean break. A fresh start for the both of us."

His cruel words still found a way to make her eyes water just a bit. Of course, it was nothing compared to when it first happened. She couldn't eat for days. She cried herself to sleep. She almost failed a couple of classes at the uni. But really, she was holding it together well and Cowan was such a bubbly goofball. 

They'd met at the laundromat. He was in dire need of pocket money or someone who would wash the pile of clothes he was carrying around in a ballooned sheet like an Elf on a Shelf, sporting his red beanie. He was almost homeless and she cleaned out her craft room so he could stay.

She squinted tears as she looked at her tea. God, she hoped Cowan didn't fall in love with anyone, anytime soon. Really, if it hadn't been for him, she wasn't sure if she could have made it through the holidays. She wouldn't dare say she liked him. It might jinx everything.