New York City. The city that never sleeps. Where everyone is always rushing to their destination, and no one seems to stop to breathe. For them, life was chaotic and busy, but not for Christopher Melbourne. His life was different because he was unique. At seventeen years old, he had already gone through so much in life. His father had passed away from cancer when he was just seven years old, and his mother had divorced from his step-father. He was also constantly bullied and harassed in school. Christopher suffered from albinism. His skin was as pale as the winter snow, and his icy blue eyes almost disappeared under his white lashes. His bleach blond hair made him the laughing stock with his classmates, and they would call him many names—Milky boy, Snow White, and even the Ice Queen, to name a few. He would spend his days alone inside his home, looking out the window, wishing for a better life. Christopher was close to graduating high school, but he wouldn’t finish it in the cit

Christopher stood in the backyard, looking at the fields that ran for miles. He finished settling in his room and just waited for his mom to arrive from town. “Dad, give me the strength to start this new life, please. Don’t let anyone bully me or make my life harder,” he pleaded as he looked at the beautiful landscape in front of him. The sun was setting, giving the cornfields that golden-looking color that he has only witnessed on TV. He never thought he would see something like it in person, and he surprisingly enjoyed it. His mother’s car pulled into the driveway and he walked to the front porch to greet her. “Help me with some bags, Chris. I ended up making a big purchase on groceries,” she laughed. Christopher shook his head, knowing how his mother loved buying extra things. It was some sort of compulsion, even though she didn’t spend her money on frivolous things. It was all for their own benefit. He helped carry the groceries to the kitchen before Grace handed him the burge

All three friends were riding along the trails, but Gunner had to leave. His father texted him, needing help on his ranch. He had to be there to get the horses ready for his next rodeo. “Do you want me to drop you off at home?” he asked Faith, who was looking at her friend, curiously. She shook her head, politely rejecting his offer. “No, I will stay with Palmer for a little longer,” she replied. Gunner pulled his horse near hers, raising his hand to put a curl of hair behind her ear, causing goosebumps on her skin as she felt his hands brush her earlobe gently. “Take care,” Gunner said before he headed towards the Wright's ranch to drop the horse off. As he was riding away, Faith couldn’t help but gaze at him. She couldn’t deny how handsome the track star looked on that horse. Why was she still fighting her feelings for him? It was fun to argue with him and to play hard to get. That much Faith knew. But she was also afraid to think it could be too late by the time she finally a

Palmer was quiet the whole ride, and even inside the diner, she didn’t say a word while she played with her spoon in the vanilla ice cream they served with the apple pie. “Palmer, what’s wrong?” Daisy asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.“I finally met Christopher, and when I invited him to join us, he rejected the offer,” she replied, taking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Daisy chuckled, making Palmer look at her like she was crazy. She looked down at her pie and poked on it hard until it turned into mush.“Sweetheart, you just met him, and it must have been an overwhelming first day for him. Especially in a new school. Give him some time, stop rushing into things.”“Well, he looks like he needs fri

The school day was over, and the three friends were walking towards the exit. Palmer saw Christopher waiting in line to get on the school bus, and she headed over after she told her goodbyes to Faith and Gunner.“Hey!” She greeted him, and all he could do was give her a small smile.“Hey, yourself.”“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out at my ranch. We have horses, and we can ride them around,” Palmer mentioned, hoping he would say yes. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. My mom is probably waiting for me to help with dinner,” he replied when Palmer’s cell phone rang. James was on the other line. He gave her the news that Misty was finally in position, which meant she would give birth at any moment. She squealed excitedly and turned to face Christopher, pulling him towards her mom’s car. Getting away from her would be impossible.“I’ll miss the bus home, and my mom will wonder where I’m at.”Palmer asked him to give her their phone number, and he hesitantly did. She didn’t waste ti