The new couple of the year, Theresa Maxwell and Connor Baker, are spotted strolling the streets of Rome, as in love as the first day. After rumours that the young singer has preferred to take a few weeks away from the English capital to work on her first album, her boyfriend has decided to surprise her with a surprise visit to the Italian capital. As we can see in the photos, they are enjoying each other's presence in an elegant but modern setting, near one of Rome's most expensive restaurants. Multiple sources also claim to have seen them hours later at a football event, cheering on the home team.

Victoria clenches her fists as Nica reads aloud. Their father has already gone to bed a few minutes ago, so it's the two sisters who are left in the kitchen, Victoria doing the dishes and Nica perched on the countertop, shuffling her feet as she reads the latest Twitter feed. The younger sister is only able to raise her eyebrows sceptically when she is unable to find truth in Victoria's words. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The girl simply nods, still focused on her task. It doesn't take her too long to finish with the dishes, as there have only been three of them eating dinner, plus Chili of course, so the two move to the living room to rest. In truth, Victoria is more tired than ever. Connor's presence in their lives brings out the worst in her: it makes her sleepless, constantly thinking about what's going on between them, wondering all the time if Max will be able to forgive him and pretend it's nothing, or if she's suffering as much as Victoria is for not having her by her side.

"Come on, Vic, I know you. We're sisters and we tell each other everything. You're jealous as hell, man."

"That's not true," the Italian replies, perhaps a little too quickly. Nica just folds her arms skeptically. "Well, maybe it's true. But I just can't stand that they have to paint her as really dating him. He's hurt her, he's used her, and yet she has to keep pretending like everything's fine. I don't want her to suffer, I want her to be with me. I won't ever hurt her."

"Vic, from what you've told me, it's obvious that this girl is crazy about you. I don't quite know how these things work in music, but if everything you say is true, you don't have to worry about this. It won't last forever, and if she loves you as much as you say she does, soon it'll be the two of you against the world," Nica runs a hand down her sister's arm, noticeably worried. "She wrote you a fucking song, Vic."

The older one smiles a little, remembering their evening in that lookout point near the Colosseum. She remembers as if only five minutes had passed the shy yet brave look on Max's face as she gave her the notebook as if it were a treasure, and in a way, it was. There she kept the most precious words she had ever spoken to Victoria, whose stomach churned once she read everything Max felt for her in the form of a song. You got me in love again, she remembers reading, over and over again.

"Yes, I know, she's lovely. I've never felt anything like it before, anyone before her is a waste of time, Nica. And I know she's trying so hard to make sure we can have a normal relationship, but I feel like we're missing the basics. I'd like to be able to walk down the street with her holding hands, go out to dinner, go to the movies, without having to worry about reporters being around or people leaking our relationship to the press. I don't know how much longer I can put up with this pace of life, Nica".

"And why don't you talk this over with her? I understand it will be difficult, but she must feel the same way you do; even worse, because she has to pretend to be happy in a relationship that doesn't even exist. I know you must be having a hard time, but it's a complicated situation. I'm sure no one but her would like to be able to brag about someone like you in front of everyone, Vic," The older girl pulls out her phone, hoping for some message, some notification from Max, but finds it empty. She knows she's still out with Connor, and that no matter how much tomorrow the boy returns to England, Max will have to keep pretending. "Come on, don't lose heart, Vic. At least you can know that she wants only you," Nica smiles at her with intent to reassure her, but Victoria doesn't look at her, and her sister's senses sharpen instantly. "Vic?"

"There's history between Connor and her, Nica," the older one admits, as much as she hates it. "She told me herself that she could have grown to feel something more for him, but she chose to be with me. I'm afraid that one day she will regret it and decide to choose him. After all, it would be a much easier life," Victoria rambles on, shrugging her shoulders and growing small by the moment.

Nica momentarily sulks. "Where has Max run off to get away from it all? Who has she written a bloody song to? Who has she really chosen to be with, Vic? Please don't be so doubtful of yourself and what you're capable of awakening in her. You're an amazing person, Victoria, and anyone who doesn't appreciate that is missing out. But I'm sure she loves you, otherwise she wouldn't have even asked you out in the first place. My advice is to talk things out before they get out of hand. Tell her how you really feel, and try to reach an agreement to make it as painless as possible for both of you."

"I need to talk to her," the blonde muses, gripping the phone tightly and reaching for the girl's contact. Her last connection is several hours old, so she tries calling her. It's already late and she doesn't even know where she is. "I'm going to call her. Don't do anything weird, please," Victoria mumbles to her sister, who gives her a salute.

Max picks up the call on the fourth beep, and Victoria sighs in relief, images of Max and Connor swirling in her head every time she thinks they might be together. "Hey, Vic. Did you need anything?"

"No, just hearing your voice," Nica smiles behind her with a knowing look, and Victoria can almost guess the smile on the other end of the line. "Am I calling at a bad time?"

"Not at all. I'm leaving Connor's hotel right now —he's checking out tomorrow, so I had to put on a good show for the paparazzi," Victoria detects the sarcasm in her voice from miles away. "Where are you now, do you want me to pick you up?"

"I'm at my place, with Nica. Do you feel like coming over? She keeps asking for you, so we can talk while we're at it," Victoria bites her lip, waiting for an answer.

"Sure. Send me the location and I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you, see you soon."

Victoria does as promised, texting her the location, and Max replies with a few thumbs up. "Don't worry about dad. As long as you guys don't make any noise he won't even wake up, and he works early tomorrow, so he won't notice you here if you guys sleep over."

"You're too wise, you know that, don't you? Sometimes you're scary," Victoria throws a pillow at her sister, who dodges it poorly, and they quickly become embroiled in a pillow fight.

Max texts her ten minutes later, saying she's at the door, and like every time they see each other, Victoria's heart beats faster. This time, however, she doesn't know if it's because she's excited to see her, or because she's afraid the conversation won't go the way she wants it to. But Victoria doesn't even know what to expect when she tells Max how she feels: she knows for sure that the English is going to try to make her feel as good as possible, but she knows that she can't ask Max for more than she can give her. In other words, she knows she can't ask her to sacrifice her career for her.

"Hello, beautiful," is the welcome the Italian gives her when Max steps onto the floor of her house. "You're cold," Victoria comments as she kisses her and feels the chill on her skin.

"It's cold outside. You could warm me up," Max smiles sideways, slipping her hands around Victoria's waist, who indicates backwards with a glance. Max notices this, and immediately her smile freezes when she sees that Nica is watching them from the dining room. "Hi."

"Ah, no, don't let my presence here stop you. I was just leaving," Nica smiles playfully, approaching her sister. "È ancora più bella dal vivo. Mi piace per te, Vica."

"Lei non sa che posso parlare un po' di italiano?" Max says directly to Victoria, and Nica's face is a poem, but she quickly draws a huge smile on her face as she nods. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Nica accepts Max's outstretched hand, shaking it. "Good night, girls."

The wink she directs at Victoria doesn't go unnoticed by Max, who takes off her coat and rubs her hands together for warmth. "I think it's safe to say that your sister already likes me."

Victoria laughs. "Who doesn't like you, huh? Come here," The blonde plants a deep kiss on her lips, and Max has no choice but to accept it. "I've missed you."

"And I've missed you, terribly," Max admits, stretching out the 'you'. "I guess you've seen it, but we had dinner and then we went to a football game. Look, I bought this scarf to cheer on the team. It doesn't really go with my outfit, but it's not too bad for blending in," smiles the Englishwoman, waving it in the air. "By the way, I've got something for you. But first: will you show me your room?"

Victoria forgets all her thoughts when she sees that smile on Max's lips, so she just smiles back and nods, taking her by the hands to lead her down the hall. Her family's flat isn't as spacious as the villa, but it's nothing to envy either. The décor is exquisite, with art everywhere, and Max understands where Victoria has been given such a vocation to be an artist. She notices a shelf full of records and vinyls as soon as she enters the house, and is happy to learn a little more about where Victoria is coming from.

The Englishwoman doesn't know what she expects to see when she enters, but somehow it's exactly what she expects from Victoria. Several posters of rock bands spread across the walls, another shelf of records (presumably rock too), and even a framed picture of a bandana and a signature that Max doesn't recognise, but doesn't ask about because she doesn't want to appear uncultured. The room is full of music memorabilia and is warm, which best represents the girl leaning on the doorway.

Max looks at her, smiling a little, saying nothing. Her tousled blonde hair, the wisps of fringes almost preventing her blue eyes from being able to look back at her, her lips twisted into a small smile, her arms crossed over her pajama tank top, and just that image alone makes Max's heart spin, aware of how lucky she is to find so much happiness in such a small body.

"Oh, no posters of me?" Max teases.

"I've got something better. A flesh and blood one," Victoria squeezes her waist lightly, her cool hands making contact with the Englishwoman's warm skin. "You like it?"

"I love it. I can tell it's your room, that's why I love it. It's very you."

"You know what?" Max sits on the bed, turning around to face the Italian, who walks over to her. "You're the first person I've ever brought here."

"Really?"

Victoria just nods. "You'd certainly be the first person I've ever kissed being here," Max sits up a little, smiling, taking hints from the Italian, who straddles her. "The first person I've made out with in my bed. I can see it's been worth the wait."

Victoria bends down to crash her lips against Max's, which receive her warmly. The Englishwoman pulls her even closer to her body, sliding her hands down her back to her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze, causing Victoria to gasp and Max is able to slip her tongue into her mouth. Victoria moves closer to her, wrapping her arms around her neck and seeking friction with her hips to turn Max on.

"Stop fucking around," Max chuckles against her shoulder.

"Why? Don't you want to fuck me?"

Max's playful grin instantly disappears, replaced by an intense, darker than normal stare. Victoria is surprised, but she can actually see her blue pupils turn darker, as if the desire she feels covers them. "Don't start a game you won't be able to finish, Victoria," Max murmurs, and the blonde is aroused at her tone of voice and the way she says her name when she's clearly eager to have her.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just crazy how I'm pictured as the badass and you're the kind one, but in reality you're the freak. You look hot as fuck when you're turned on."

"You devil. Quit teasing me."

Victoria smirks, giving up. "You're a tough cookie, but you know I could have you right here if I wanted to. What a shame I don't this time," the blonde knows the effect she's having on the brunette, who is definitely feeling hotter than before, but knows it's not the right environment to have Victoria the way she wants. "What did you say you had for me?"

Suddenly, it's as if Max becomes nervous. She gives a small smile as she reaches for something in her bag, something Victoria catches a glimpse of as if it were an envelope. "You can tell me you don't like it. I don't want it to become an obligation for you if you don't feel like it," Max says before handing her the paper, warning her not to open it just yet. "I may have overdone it this time."

"Stop stalling, can I open it now?" Victoria whines with a smile.

Max finally nods, biting her lip hesitantly. She's aware that this gift may be going too far, but she also knows that it may come to mean a lot to Victoria, whose eyes scan the page with little to show any feelings.

"What's this?" Victoria shows her the envelope with a frown.

"Danish. I think."

"Yes, yes. I can see that."

Max tucks her hair behind her ear, deeply nervous, and takes the girl by the hands. "Vic, I know these days have been hard. Not just for me, but for you too, with Connor being here and everything I've had to do being away from you. I don't intend to make you forget about it with gifts, but I want to make it up to you somehow. Taking advantage of the fact that you now have a few days off until the concert, and that I still have a week before I go back to London, I want to go with you to Denmark," Victoria is about to speak, but Max stops her with a kiss and then continues speaking. "I repeat, there's no obligation to go. I thought you might want to have a few days to reconnect with your roots, visit some family there, and I want to come with you if you'll let me. I'd like to get to know everything that makes you you, Vic."

The blonde says nothing, only rereads the contents of the envelope, and beyond that, discovers that there are two more papers. They're two plane tickets, dated for two days from now, so the blonde looks up, wide-eyed. "You bought me tickets to Copenhagen? Just us?"

Max nods with a smile. "Just you and me."

The Englishwoman is unable to anticipate Victoria's embrace around her neck, and they both fall backwards onto the bed, Max letting out a giggle as the blonde pulls her tightly into her arms. Victoria doesn't laugh, however, but instead her shoulders jerk against Max's body, who hugs her back but worries when she doesn't get a positive reaction.

"Hey, Vic. What's up?"

With her thumbs she brushes some tears away from her cheeks. "It's just that I haven't been able to go for a long time, and I miss it so much. It's where my mum grew up, and now that she's gone, I'd like to go whenever I can. And I'd love to share this trip with you. How are you so good to me?"

The Englishwoman smiles and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "You deserve it, for putting up with me and everything around me. Well, tomorrow we'll pack our bags, it's all planned. We've got the hotel, a reservation at a good restaurant and lots of places to see. You're the guide, for the record."

"I love you, you don't know how much," the Italian whispers, crashing her lips together and forgetting that, half an hour ago, she was suffering for the survival of their relationship. "Fuck it, I'm going to start packing right now. It's going to be very cold, so you have to bring warm things. And beanies! I can lend you beanies, I've got loads."

Victoria turns around, holding up three different beanies for Max to see, but discovers that the girl is holding her phone, a suspicious light on the camera, and the Englishwoman smiles. "Where are we going, Vic?"

"To Denmark," the Italian replies with a big smile, stretching out the 'a' in the word. She turns back to the mirror, trying on the three accessories she's pulled out of the wardrobe.

Max gets out of bed, approaching the blonde from behind, and the reflection of the two of them in the mirror is the foreground in the video the Englishwoman records. "Oh yeah? And are we looking forward to it?"

Victoria responds with another huge smile, picking up on what Max is trying to do, so she tries to disarm her idea by giving her a kiss in front of the mirror, which Max manages to capture on her video. "I love you."

"I love you too," Max smiles into the kiss, putting the phone away, but it vibrates in her hand.

Video's out now, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :)

Reading Ed's message, Max checks the time, and curses under her breath when she realises it's already past twelve. Shivers comes out at midnight, along with the video clip, and she's completely forgotten about it —she thinks it's solely due to Victoria's presence on top of her.

"Hey, can we see it? I wasn't with you when you filmed."

Victoria doesn't wait for Max's answer, which was going to be positive, but quickly switches on the computer. The video clip is already racking up numbers, despite not yet being an hour old, and Max's Twitter feed seems about to explode: thousands of hundreds of fans are already congratulating her, saying they love the song and that in the video clip they can feel the chemistry between Ed and her.

She smiles a little as the scene begins and remembers the moment of filming it. She and Ed are sitting in a diner, separated, but they instantly catch each other's attention. Max adopts a shy and somewhat awkward persona, while Ed is funny and quirky. First come the boy's verses, which he sings looking at the camera with an amused gesture, and then come her verses, which she sings with more ease, as if she were an actress. She feels Victoria plant a kiss on her cheek and hold her in her arms, and smiles even wider.

"So badass," the Italian remarks as Max comes out pretending to be a fighter and getting rid of the thugs who want to attack them before entering a chapel to marry Ed's character. "That was so cool," Victoria murmures, pulling the girl to herself, Max's back pressed against the blonde's chest.

"We had a lot of fun filming it. Ed's a nice guy, it's impossible to dislike him," the video closes with their two characters dancing with each other, and when the music cuts out, their faces get closer, in line with the concept of the music video, and the camera goes dark, implying that their characters end up kissing.

"And when you're close up, give me the shivers," the Italian girl croons close to her, laughing afterwards and feeling more in love than ever.