The first thing they did when Bella showed up on set was to find a hairdresser to fix her hair. They got rid of the red and brought back the blond. And then the Bella they wanted was back. She threw herself into the work, lost herself in the character and focused on making the best film possible. By the time she got home each night, she was utterly exhausted and spent. But it helped because otherwise she was just missing Nick.

They spoke most nights, even if just for a few minutes. It was strange being back in L.A. It felt foreign to her and she realized it had never felt like home. It was just a place where she worked and slept. Her life, her real home, was with Nick on Nantucket. But that wasn’t her reality, unfortunately. Nantucket was being on vacation. L.A. was back to work.

Once she knew her schedule and when there was going to be a light week, she let Nick know and he booked a flight out. Knowing he was coming got her through the next few weeks.

Nick flew in on a Friday and Bella met him at the airport. She started crying happy tears when she saw him. It had been so long, and she’d missed him so much. He pulled her into his arms, and she wanted to stay there.

“It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you so much,” she said.

“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” He grinned. “So, let’s see L.A.!”

She took him everywhere, showed him all the usual tourist spots. They had spicy chicken pizza at Spago and walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the sidewalk where celebrities had stars embedded in the sidewalk. They drove along the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu and Nick agreed that it was beautiful, but Nantucket was still prettier.

And it was in Malibu that Nick experienced the media for the first time. They’d gone to Nobu for sushi and had a wonderful dinner. But on the way out, paparazzi were waiting and as soon as they saw Bella and Nick, they pounced, snapping pictures and peppering Bella with questions.

“Who is he, Cami? Is this your new boyfriend? Is he an actor? What is he in? Talk to us, Cami!”

She ignored them and instead rushed Nick to her car and they drove off. Her nerves were on edge and she didn’t begin to relax until they were a mile down the road. Nick was quiet beside her.

Finally, he spoke. “I didn’t really get it when you always wore those glasses and didn’t want anyone to recognize you. I get it now. That was intense. Is it always like that?”