Safe Haven

Changing Over Time

"I told you this would be awkward," Nick whispered in Kate's ear, watching as Bo and Rosabelle Sage shared the same shocked expression. He couldn't help but take out his phone, snap a picture of the two of them, and send it to Will and Shawna. No sense in them missing out on this moment.

Sage snapped out of her shock first. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I'm a writer, and I want to write a story on this place," Bo retorted, the anger and pain he'd held in for five years bubbling up inside of him. "I'm assuming you're the owner. Wish I would've known that or I probably wouldn't have come out here. You know, maybe you should advertise that on your website. Instead of the owner just saying Sage, it should say, 'Hey, Bo! Don't come out here, because it's really me Rosabelle Sage!' That would've given a clear indication."

"I don't go by that name anymore. It's just Sage now," she informed, her mind wondering off to where his parents were. They'd bought a house out here, but after she and Bo broke up, they sold it and went back to New York. If he was here, they'd probably be not far behind. "And what about you? Next time you send an email, instead of giving some lame username, why don't you say 'It's Bo Ivanov'. After all, there's only so many of you in the world!"

"Lame username?" Bo repeated. "It told you exactly who I was! B for Bo, Al for Alexander, you can forget about the random dash, and then Ivanov. If that's not a clear indication, I don't know what is!"

"Did they always fight like this?" Liz whispered to Kate as Nick stood, videotaping the reunion. "If so, I can't imagine why they were together for so long."

"At least they haven't started throwing anything," Kate mumbled back, her eyes glued to the pain and anguish splattered across Sage's face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen an expression like that. "When they were teenagers, they only dated for one summer, but they definitely threw things when they were angry. It was mostly breakables."

"Dad, shut that stupid camera off!" Sage demanded, throwing a file at her father's head.

"Spoke too soon," Nick chuckled to Kate, causing her to grin back at him. "It looks like they ran out of things to say."

"You grew your hair out," Bo commented, surprise filling his voice as he stared at the long brown locks cascading down her back. He didn't think she'd ever been more beautiful. "It looks good, Rosabelle Sage."

"It's just Sage now," she snapped, refusing the sudden urge to throw her hair up off her neck. She refused to give him the satisfaction of making her flustered. "Now tell me what you want or get out."

"I've already told you what I want," Bo answered, struggling to find something that would help him use a calm and patient tone. He had to be professional about this, even if she refused to be. "I want to write a story on this place and the animals you have here. It'll be good for publicity, and may get you some sponsers. And with the sponsers, comes enough money to buy yourself a filing cabinet, because from the looks of things, you really need it."

"I don't need your help," she hissed, feeling her fists clench in anger. "Say one more wrong thing, and I'll throw you into the lion's den."

"Let me guess, you're going to leave me in there, so the lions can eat me, but they won't eat me?" Bo teased, that irritating grin she'd fallen in love with plastered on his face. She wasn't fighting for the upper-hand. She was practically handing it to him.

"Do you really want to keep arguing with me to find out?" Sage asked, one hand on her hip. Bo knew she did that when she realized she was on the losing end of a fight. Triumphantly, he flashed her another grin that made her jaw visibly clench. He wondered how much effort it was taking to keep herself from jumping him.