Falling for Mr. Suplado

Chapter One: A Not-So-Quiet Saturday Morning (Arabella's POV)

Saturday mornings were always chaotic in our house, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

The sound of my alarm clock blared through my small, cramped room. I groaned, stretched out my arms, and blinked at the ceiling. Another Saturday, I thought, trying to get myself out of bed. If I didn't get up soon, my brothers would starve.

Anthony, the eldest, was the responsible one, basically my second father, always there for me, especially when our mom had to leave for work overseas. Ariel, the joker, could turn any situation into a laugh, always finding ways to annoy me and get away with it. Aaron, the sports fanatic, was glued to the TV every weekend, catching every game like his life depended on it. Abby, my sweet yet sassy brother, loved his gadgets more than anything else. And Allion, the youngest, had the charm to wiggle out of any trouble he found himself in.

I rolled out of bed, barefoot, and padded my way down the hall toward the kitchen. The house was still quiet—too quiet. Of course, my brothers were still asleep, talking to myself with a smirk. I was always the first one up, ready to tackle the chaos of feeding five grown men, all of whom acted like toddlers before breakfast.

After throwing my hair into a messy bun, I called out, "Kuyaaaa! Gising na ba kayo?"

No response.

I sighed, grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge. It was like this every weekend. I did most of the cooking because, honestly, I couldn't trust any of them not to burn down the house. My brothers were good guys, but their skills in the kitchen were... lacking, to say the least.

"Hoy, Kuya Anthony! Tulong ka naman diyan!" I yelled over my shoulder, hoping my oldest brother would come to help scramble some eggs.

Still no response.

Figures, I thought, rolling my eyes. I started cracking the eggs into a bowl when I heard the low hum of a car engine outside. New neighbor siguro? I wondered, wiping my hands on a dish towel and glancing out the window.

Sure enough, a black SUV was parked across the street. The movers were unloading boxes from the back. That's when I saw him—the new guy.

He stood by the car, talking with one of the movers. Even from this distance, I could tell he was handsome—tall, with a clean-cut look that screamed I-have-my-life-together. His clothes were neat, his posture straight. The complete opposite of the mess that was currently me—hair sticking out everywhere, wearing an old oversized shirt.

"Well, hello," I whispered to myself, watching him for a second longer. He looked... serious, maybe even a little intimidating. Not the type of guy who would talk to someone like me.

I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from the window and back to the task at hand. I had breakfast to make and brothers to wake up.

But for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that this new neighbor was going to stir things up—whether I liked it or not.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! 💖 Don't forget to vote and let me know what you think! Your support means the world to me. 😊

Love,
Gracey M.