UNTAMED | BUCKY BARNES x OC

𝐎𝐍𝐄

SOFÍA CASTILLO

I'm almost late...again.

The clock is ticking tediously towards 10:00 am as I sprint down the creme marble staircase, almost knocking out our head housekeeper, Valentina in the process. With one swift step to the left, I miss her body by a mere two inches.

"Mija! You need to slow down and be more careful," Valentina calls out towards me, with a hand on her hip and a look of concern plastered on her warm caramel-toned skin. She's standing on the bottom of the staircase, clearly on her way upstairs.

"Lo siento, Valentina!" I apologize quickly, throwing her a quick look of remorse and hoping she can read my mind that I can't be late like I was last week.

My steps are loud and frantic, the clock continuing to race against the golden watch on my wrist. A present from my late mother years ago, that I've finally decided to wear after years of collecting dust in my jewelry box.

The grey and white marble floors in the foyer turn into a ravishing dark wood flooring as I make my way past the kitchen, where a few more housekeepers are preparing what I assume is lunch, and find my hands turning the creme french door handles that lead to the back of the house.

The house wraps around various porches and balconies that lead to either more courtyards or views of the mountains in the distance. There's a guest house about half a mile from our garden, giving many guests the seclusion they deserve. Besides the sparkling pool, there's a sauna, spa, and a state of the art gym. It's like my own paradise here.

Lush, green trees fill my vision as I step outside, the garden full of blooming lemons, my mother's favorite. Besides her trees, there's a copious amount of various fruit trees, and my favorite, the elongated willow tree. There's still a tire swing attached to it from when I was younger, but it hasn't been used in decades.

Living in the outskirts of Guanajuato, Mexico left my family to have as many acres of land they wanted as well as enough distance from the capital city of Guanajuato to live a quiet and private life. Our small town of San Miguel de Allende was my sanctuary.

The heat from the summer sun instantly sticks to my golden bronze skin, making me regret meeting my father outside when we could've done this in his study. The birds are chirping nearby and I look down at my bare feet, wondering how long it will take before I give up and go back inside.

I take a deep breath and shake my head, willing myself to continue down the long stretch of the patio, down the three steps, and onto the cobbled stone path leading past the turquoise pool and down another five steps to a small secluded courtyard that overlooks the mountains. The light golden top I'm wearing has mesh long sleeves that go past my wrists, allowing me to forget about the watch attached to my right.

There are two massive gray chairs with matching weatherproof cushions positioned at the end of a glass table with an even larger man sitting in one. His dark black hair is loose in waves near his shoulders, the sun glistening off the grey strands. His beard matches the aging hairs on his head and he's wearing an all-black Giorgio Armani suit, despite the scorching weather, but it goes well against his golden bronze skin tone. I smile to myself, knowing he will be whining about the heat just as much as I already am.