Unscripted

The city was quieter at this hour in the evening, humming instead of roaring. Marta had escaped to one of the only places that ever truly calmed her… an old bookstore with dim lighting and the smell of ink thick in the air. She needed a moment. Just one moment where she wasn’t a director, a wife, or a woman making reckless decisions that she wasn’t ready to unpack. She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling as she skimmed the shelves, pretending she wasn’t spiraling inside.

And then… suddenly, because the universe had a cruel sense of humor… there was Fina. Standing in front of her, near the poetry section, flipping lazily through a book, looking far too comfortable for Marta’s liking. Marta froze. Then narrowed her eyes. No. No fucking way.

‘You’re following me!’ she accused, crossing her arms.

Fina didn’t even look up. ‘Marta, I swear, not everything is about you.’

Marta’s lips parted, but Fina turned a page, looking so unaffected that it only made Marta more suspicious.

‘Really? Out of all the places in the city, you just happened to be here?’

Fina finally glanced up, lips curling into a smirk.

‘Yes. Because obviously, I have nothing better to do than track your every move. I’m actually part of a secret underground society dedicated to studying the mysterious, tortured mind of Marta de la Reina.’

Marta groaned, rubbing her temples. ‘God, I don’t have the energy for this.’

‘Then sit down.’ Fina nodded toward a corner where an old, beaten-up couch sat against the wall. ‘Before you combust.’

Marta hesitated, but her body was already betraying her. She sank into the couch, exhaling sharply. ‘I can’t believe I changed the damn script.’

Fina raised a brow, leaning against a bookshelf. ‘Is that regret I hear?’

Marta dragged a hand down her face. ‘No. Yes. I don’t know.’

Fina closed her book with a soft thud and sat beside her, leaving just enough space between them. ‘You’ll find someone…’ she said, voice gentler now. ‘You always do.’

Marta let out a bitter chuckle. ‘And if I don’t?’

Fina tilted her head. ‘Then we make it work.’

The words settled in the space between them. Simple, but grounding.

Marta let her head fall back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. ‘You’re very… sure of things.’ Her voice was so tired.

Fina smiled slightly. ‘Not really. I just know that if something is meant to happen, it will. Even if you fight it.’

Marta turned her head slightly, meeting Fina’s gaze. There was something in the way she said it… soft, knowing. It made Marta’s stomach twist.

Fina sighed dramatically, breaking the tension. ‘I was actually here to pick up a book, you know. But now I feel like I should get you a self-help one instead.’

Marta scoffed. ‘Oh, shut up.’

Fina grinned. ‘No, really. Something along the lines of ‘How to Accept the Inevitable and Stop Overthinking Everything’.’

Marta rolled her eyes, but the ghost of a smile flickered on her lips. ‘Maybe I should get you one called ‘How to Know When to Leave Things Alone’.’

Fina laughed, but there was something softer beneath it. ‘Marta…’ Her voice was quieter now, like she was testing how much truth Marta could handle tonight. ‘You can keep fighting it if you want. But you’re running out of places to hide.’

Marta inhaled, sharp and uneven. She wanted to say something. A clever response. A sharp dismissal. But nothing came… Fina’s words hit Marta deep into her heart and as the silence was becoming more and more awkward, Fina got up, looked down at Marta and said on a demanding but softer tone…

‘Come on! Let’s take a walk outside… the air feels nice and we both need it.’

Marta looked at her, thought about it for a second and then shook her head with a slight smile. They got outside.. the sky was not clear that evening.. the wind was announcing a rain… a storm maybe.

They started to walk side by side under the street lights and car sounds which were becoming more rare as the night was setting up the scene. Neither of them said where they were going. Maybe nowhere. Maybe just walking until the silence stopped feeling like something waiting to be filled.

The first raindrops were hesitant, soft taps against the pavement. Fina glanced up, letting one land on her cheek, then smirked.

Marta pulled her coat tighter, her thoughts tangled between the script, the casting, and the absolute mess she had just made of everything.

Beside her, Fina walked with her hands in her pockets, her steps light despite the exhaustion pressing on both of them. The silence between them stretched, filled only by the distant hum of the city.

Then, out of nowhere...

‘Do you think Paul secretly hates me?’

Marta blinked, thrown off. ‘What?’

Fina kicked a loose pebble, watching it roll along the pavement. ‘Paul… My very recently unemployed co-star? Fired in a grand, cinematic gesture.’

Marta scoffed. ‘You’re really making yourself the victim here, huh?’

Fina gasped dramatically. ‘Of course! I was just an innocent actress, caught in the crossfire of a director’s personal crisis.’

Marta turned her head sharply. “Personal crisis?” Her eyes were bigger than before.

Fina smirked, not answering.

Marta exhaled slowly. ‘I didn’t fire him because of you.’

‘Oh, I know.’ Fina tilted her head. ‘You fired him because of you.’

Marta’s grip tightened around the strap of her backpack. ‘I fired him because he wasn’t the right choice. The scene wasn’t working.’

Fina hummed. ‘Right. That’s the official reason.’

Marta stopped walking. Fina took a few more steps before realizing and turning back to face her. Marta’s voice was controlled, but there was an edge underneath.

‘Don’t you get tired of being this annoying?’

Fina smiled looking in awe at Marta.

‘And don’t you get tired of letting me annoy you?’ Marta rolled her eyes but deep down she knew that was such a good reply. They stood there for a moment, the rain pattering lightly around them. Then, as if on cue, the sky let loose, the drizzle sharpening into something heavier.

‘Shit…’ Marta grabbed Fina’s wrist instinctively. ‘My car’s there… come on!’ Fina didn’t have time to react to Marta’s touch as they were both running towards the car, while the raindrops were already finding their way on their hair and skin.

They sprinted the last few steps, barely dodging a puddle before sliding into Marta’s car. The doors shut with a satisfying thud, enclosing them in a bubble of quiet as the rain drummed against the windshield. For a moment, they just sat there, catching their breath, damp strands of hair clinging to their faces.

Fina wiped a drop off her cheek. “Well. That was dramatic.”

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Marta exhaled, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel for a second before leaning back against the headrest.

‘You okay?’ Fina asked, her voice softer now.

Marta let out a dry laugh. ‘Define okay.’

Fina tilted her head, watching her. ‘You’re still thinking about the script, aren’t you?’

Marta sighed. ‘I just turned everything upside down, Fina. And I still have no actress.’

Fina shrugged. ‘You’ll find her.’

Marta scoffed. ‘We’ll see…’

The silence between them stretched, thick with something unspoken. The rain had softened to a drizzle, but neither of them moved to leave the car. Fina exhaled, her fingers absentmindedly trailing along the window, tracing invisible patterns against the condensation. Then, her voice soft, but deliberate. ‘Have you ever wanted more, Marta?’

Marta’s fingers clenched around the steering wheel. ‘More of what?’

Fina turned her head, watching her. Really watching her. ‘More than what you were told to want.’

Marta’s throat tightened. ‘Uhm…’ She stopped, exhaling sharply. ‘That’s a ridiculous question.’

Fina let out a quiet hum, as if she’d expected that answer. But there was something knowing in her expression. ‘Is it?’

Marta turned toward her, the words sharp on her tongue… but then she saw it again.

The tattoo. Unscripted…

It was there, just behind Fina’s ear, half-hidden by a few stray curls. Small. Unassuming. But it had burned itself into Marta’s memory the first time she saw it. At her wedding… At her own wedding.

She’d noticed it then… had stared longer than she should have, had felt something she hadn’t been ready to name. And now, sitting here, trapped in this car with Fina’s presence too close, her voice too steady, her eyes too damn certain… Marta felt that same thing clawing at the edges of her carefully built walls. Fina must have caught where she was looking, because she tilted her head slightly, exposing the ink just a little more. A challenge. A reminder. Fina traced her thumb on her tattoo gently, as if she would remember all the things that made her do it.

Her voice was quieter now. ‘I got it when I finally stopped lying to myself.’

Marta swallowed. ‘About what?’

Fina’s lips curved… not in amusement, but in something sadder. Something deeper.

‘About who I was. What I wanted…. About how much of my life I was living for other people instead of myself.’

Marta’s pulse roared in her ears.

Fina continued, softer. ‘You saw it that night, didn’t you? At the wedding.’

Marta felt like all the air had been knocked from her lungs.

Fina didn’t look away. ‘I remember the way you looked at it.’

Marta inhaled sharply, a mix of frustration and something she didn’t want to name rising in her chest. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Fina gave a quiet chuckle, but there was no cruelty in it. Just understanding. ‘Maybe not. But I do know what it’s like to be afraid of the truth.’

Marta clenched her jaw. ‘I’m not afraid.’

Fina studied her for a long moment. Then… so quiet, so damn careful…

“Then why are your hands shaking?”

Marta looked down. She hadn’t even realized she was still gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline, her knuckles white, her fingers trembling just slightly.

Suddenly the car felt unbearably small. Fina understood Marta’s worries and decided to speak again on a soft tone.

‘Marta.. let me ask you something… Have you ever wished for something else? Something unscripted?’

Marta’s heart stopped for a second at hearing the question. Her mind and her heart were having a battle inside.

‘You say that like it’s easy. Like it’s a choice you can just make.’ Said Marta on a whispery tone, while looking at the raindrops dancing onto her windshield.

Fina turned her head, finally meeting Marta’s gaze. ‘It is.’

Marta scoffed. ‘Right. You wake up one day and just decide to stop following the rules?’

Fina leaned her head back against the seat, her expression unreadable. ‘Something like that.’ A pause. Then…

‘I woke up one day and realized I wasn’t in my own story. I was in the one people wrote for me. And I didn’t like the ending…’

Marta looked outside through the wet window as if she could see something with all those drops falling down... Fina turned slightly, resting her elbow on the console between them, closer now. ‘So I stopped.’

Marta turned her face back to Fina… her voice was quieter when she spoke. ‘Stopped what?’

Fina’s lips curved, but it wasn’t playful this time. It was something else. Something deeper. ‘Stopped pretending I didn’t want more.’

The air in the car felt thinner. Heavier… Marta forced herself to hold Fina’s gaze, but it was dangerous. Like standing too close to the edge of something.

Fina didn’t look away. ‘Stopped pretending I didn’t want her.’

Marta’s stomach clenched. ‘Esther…’

Fina’s gaze flickered… just for a second. ‘At the time, yes.’

At the time… Marta let out a slow breath, her chest tightening in a way that had nothing to do with the rain or the cold creeping into the car.

‘So… now it’s different with her?’ Asked Marta trying not to sound so curious.

Fina’s voice saddened. ‘We broke up…’

Marta blinked. ‘What? When?’

Fina shrugged. ‘A few weeks ago. Maybe longer, if I’m being honest.’  She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. ‘She wanted something I couldn’t give her.’

Marta frowned. ‘Which was?’

Fina looked at her then, something unreadable in her expression. ‘Simplicity...’

Marta felt something tighten in her chest. Fina smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

‘She wanted a love that was easy. That fit into neat little boxes. And I…’ she gestured vaguely, ‘I’m not that.’

Marta studied her, the way she tried to sound indifferent, but there was something in her voice… something raw, something real.

‘I think I still love her…’ Fina admitted, voice quieter now. ‘Or at least, the version of us that made sense.’

Marta hesitated. ‘Do you think she still loves you?’

Fina’s lips twitched. ‘Probably. But love alone isn’t always enough, is it?’

Marta looked down at her hands, trying to avoid her immediate attempt to compare this to her situation. ‘No…’ she whispered.

The car was silent except for the rain as it started to pour heavily again… insistently. Exactly what Marta was feeling inside… a storm that felt like it was drowning her.

The curiosity was eating Fina inside so she had to ask…

‘And you? How’s it like being married?’

Marta’s lips parted which made Fina swallow but unfortunately her mouth was too dry to even react.

‘Um… It’s nice… steady.’ Answered Marta without realizing she was biting her lower lip.

‘That’s a very diplomatic answer.’ Said Fina.

‘Marta huffed a small laugh. “It’s not a bad thing.”

“I never said it was.” Fina tilted her head. Her voice softer now… ‘But you don’t strike me as someone who likes ‘steady.’"

Marta’s breath caught. "That’s ridiculous. I built my life around it."

Fina shifted, her body a little bit closer to Marta, making her look at Fina’s face, observing it closely. Fina looked into her deep blue eyes whose pupils dilated in the dimmed street lights.

‘Did you? Or was it just another script you decided to follow?’

Marta’s fingers twitched around the wheel again, feeling her palms sweaty. ‘That’s not…’

‘You direct everything, Marta. Even yourself… Every decision, every moment… it’s all carefully controlled. Predictable.’ Fina’s voice was barely above a whisper now... switching into a tone filled with sensuality… passion. ‘But this? Right now?’ Fina placed her hand on top of Marta’s arm, tracing her thumb gently on the fabric.  

‘This isn’t predictable, is it? And it feels so damn fine…’

Fina saw Marta’s chest moving faster now… Marta’s pulse was pounding, her throat tightening as Fina’s words settled in, cutting deeper than she wanted them to.

Fina leaned in just a fraction more, her breath warm against Marta’s skin.

‘Tell me… when was the last time you did something that wasn’t part of the script?’ Fina whispered while Marta didn’t move an inch from her seat… she was completely frozen, cause if she moved, maybe she would regret the actions…

Marta  hated how her stomach flipped at that. Hated how her body betrayed her, how her silence spoke louder than she ever could.

Fina smiled, just slightly, knowingly… looking deep into her eyes, then a quick glare at her perfectly shaped lips. ‘Thought so…’

The rain tapped against the windshield in rhythmic little bursts, filling the silence. Marta rolled down her window to let some fresh air enter the car.. Beside her, Fina exhaled dramatically and slumped into her seat.

‘Well, that was intense. Should I be concerned for my job, or are we just firing male actors tonight?’

Marta shot her a look. ‘My God… Do you ever take anything seriously?’

Fina grinned. ‘Of course I do. Just not when I’m trapped in a car with a woman who looks like she’s about to either drive off a bridge or start screaming into the void.’

Marta huffed, pressing the start engine button. ‘I’m not…’

‘Hmm? Debatable.’ Fina propped her elbow against the window, watching her.

‘Anyway, since you seem too busy having an existential crisis to drive, can I request we head in the direction of my apartment? Or am I sleeping in the car tonight?’

Marta sighed, pulling out into the slick streets. ‘Where do you live?’

Fina gasped. ‘Marta... You mean to tell me you don’t have my home address memorized? I’m hurt.’ She placed her hand on her chest.

Marta rolled her eyes. ‘Just text it to me.’

Fina smirked and leaned back, watching Marta navigate the late-night city streets. The tension had eased, but it still lingered, curling at the edges of the conversation like smoke, waiting for the right moment to flare up again.

‘You’re quiet again…’ Fina asked after a moment. ‘Thinking about the script? Or… something else?’

Marta’s grip tightened on the wheel. ‘Just driving.’

‘Mmm…’ Fina didn’t look convinced. ‘For the record, you made the right call tonight. About the scene.’

Marta glanced at her. ‘You think so?’

Fina’s smile was softer this time. ‘I know so.’

For a second, Marta forgot to breathe. Then the light turned green, and she forced her eyes back on the road, completely frowned, pretending that something as simple as driving could keep her from spiraling any further.