We walked for nearly fifteen minutes before we reached the west courtyard on the edge of Chilton grounds, taking a look around I sighed contently before walking over and taking a seat on a large boulder. "This is another one of my favorite spots in town."

Josh cocked a brow before walking over and taking a seat on the boulder beside me. "And why is that?"

"My dad was a professor here at Chilton, this was his favorite spot on campus. I remember my mom and I used to walk here and meet him for lunch when I was little. In the spring this whole area smells like wild honeysuckle and these big patches of purple wildflowers my mom called Sweet Williams...it's amazing." I sighed and pulled my coat closer to my body willing away the cold night air.

"Sounds beautiful," Josh said taking off his coat before draping it around my shoulders.

"You are going to freeze," I said shaking my head as I attempted to deny his coat, he persistently tugged it from my grasp before placing it back on my shoulders.

"I'm fine...you take it, I insist."

"And I insist you put your coat back on," I argued.

"Are you always so stubborn?" Josh said shooting me a smile.

"Are you always so persistent to get your way?" I countered.

"I'm a spoiled rich kid...what's your excuse?" he questioned with a smirk.

"I grew up with three older brothers...I've always had to fight for what I want," I answered pointedly, "so...how is it that you are so rich anyway? Old money? New Money?"

"You went from arguing over a coat to asking me about money in two seconds flat." Josh teased.

I shrugged turning toward him on the boulder and pulling knees to my chest, "I just don't know that much about you...I feel like I am always telling you about me."

"Fair enough," Josh mused, "Let's just say I come from all kinds of money...lots of old...and lots of new."

"What does your dad do?"

"You mean besides drink and knock me around and tell me what a disappointment I am?" Josh joked.

I bit my lip regretting my question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No, I'm sorry," Josh said rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, he and I just don't get along that's all...my dad is an orthopedic surgeon."

"Does an orthopedic surgeon make that much?"

Josh cocked a brow, "Not really, about 600-700 a year but it's just his day job, he is also president CEO of Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey."

"I'm almost afraid to ask how much that job makes, if you consider 600-700 thousand to be not that much." I said already mentally planning to become an orthopedic surgeon.

"It's millions," he said simply.

"Wow...ok so I was sitting here planning to become an orthopedic surgeon after you disclosed that it brings in around 700 thousand a year but I change my mind...I like millions more."

"Money won't make you happy," Josh said sadly, "in fact, in my experience the more you have, the harder it is to be happy."

"Why do you say that?" I questioned confused.

Josh shrugged, "You get all this money so you can have control over your life...buy whatever you want, go wherever you want, do whatever you want but the money just ends up controlling you."

"Only if you let it..." I countered giving Josh a small smile.

He nodded and returned the smile, "I guess you are right."

"So...is that why you have gotten into so much trouble," I questioned digging for more information, "because of your dad?"

Josh shook his head, "I wish I could sit here and tell you that it was all his fault but truth is, I was the one who made those bad decisions."

"So why did you get kicked out of so many schools anyway?"

"Don't get me wrong, my dad is a good man...he is just a shitty father," Josh started, "He has a good heart, he spends every day doing surgeries that change or even save people's lives, he donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to different charities every year...he loves helping people."

"But...?"

"My dad started drinking after he and my first step mom split when I was 10. When I was eleven I thought I was big enough to stand up to him, he was drunk and I tried to get him to stop, told him I thought he had had enough. He didn't appreciate that too much, that was the first time he hit me." Tears prickled my eyes as I listened to Josh recall the memory of his father and I found myself feeling so very blessed to have had such a wonderful Dad. "I guess that was when he realized that knocking me around made him feel better." Josh said as a tear rolled down his cheek, he quickly wiped it away.

"Before that I was a good kid, honor roll, never got into trouble but after a while my grades started dropping and I was getting into a lot of trouble. I got kicked out of four schools for fighting. I was only at the next school for about two weeks before the guidance counselor pulled me into his office and asked me what was going on, he told me I could trust him and that he would help so I told him about my dad. He called me a liar. He actually said 'poor people beat their kids...not upstanding men like your father.' Then he called my dad and told him what I had said."

"Oh my God!" I nearly squealed, "What an asshole."

"Yea...needless to say my Dad was less than thrilled that I had gone crying to the counselor...'our business is our business, learn to keep your fucking mouth shut,'" Josh said mimicking his father's words, "...then he kicked my ass just for good measure, cracked three ribs. The next day I took a baseball bat to the guidance counselor's car...hurt like hell doing it but it made me feel better. He pressed charges and they kicked me out."

"Josh..." I felt like it was all I could say, Josh's recount of his life before Chilton sounded like something out of a Lifetime special. I couldn't resist the urge to wrap my arms around his neck and give him a hug, he squeezed me tight and chuckled a bit at my sudden hug attack. "Didn't anyone notice the bruises? Cracked bones? Why didn't anyone do anything?"

Josh shook his head, "See that's where all my fighting really worked out in his favor, any injuries were easily explained away as marks from a fight at school. Besides, like I said, my dad doesn't exactly fit the profile and after the thing with the guidance counselor I didn't dare trust anyone again."

"Ok...so...you got kicked out of 4 schools for fighting and one for destruction of property, which I think was totally justified, that still leaves one..." I prodded.

Josh let out an exasperated sigh, "After that I started hanging out with the wrong crowd...other privileged kids with problems."

"How does that make them the wrong crowd?" I asked confused.

"An unlimited amount of money and practically no supervision," Josh mused, "parties, sex, drugs...LOTS of drugs. It came to the point where I had to be high in order to function, it was the only thing that made my life bearable. I got busted a couple of times actually getting high at school, none of it led anywhere because my Dad would just buy the school something shiny and suddenly all my indiscretions were forgiven. That was until I pissed off one of the jocks and got myself kicked out."

"What did you do?"

Josh shrugged, "Apparently I messed around with his girlfriend at a party."

I cocked a brow, "You seem awfully nonchalant about sleeping with someone..."

"We didn't have sex, according to him we fooled around, I don't know, I don't remember it ever happening...I was apparently too fucked up at the time."

"Wow..."

"He told the principal I had a bunch of drugs in my locker," Josh continued, "police showed up and searched my locker and found enough pot to charge me with intent to sell."

I nearly gasped in shock, "No wonder my brothers don't want me hanging out with you."

"If it makes any difference you can tell them I had no intent to sell any of it...I intended to smoke it all." Josh said pointedly causing me to giggle. "Anyway, my dad convinced the judge to drop the charges in exchange for a hefty donation and me attending rehab...which for rich people is essentially this lake cabin resort in the middle of nowhere. So I went to rehab and relaxed away from my dad for 60 days and realized how much happier I was being away from him so I decided it was time to get my act together. The best way to get far away was to go to college which I wasn't going to do if I kept getting kicked out."

"So... violence, destruction of property, and drugs... is that all?"

"That about covers it." Josh joked trying to lighten the mood.

"So I take it you won't be going home for holidays?" I questioned cocking a brow, Josh smiled.

"When my dad met my new step mom last year things got better at home, he stopped drinking but it doesn't undo what has been done...our relationship is strained to say the least...once he got sober he realized what a fuck up I was."

"You aren't a fuck up." I said shooting him sad eyes.

Josh shook his head in disbelief, "How can you sit there and listen to all of what I just told you and not look at me like..."

"Like what?" I questioned cocking a brow.

"Like your brothers." Josh said his voice trembling slightly as he brought a shaky hand through his hair.

"Here, take your coat." I said sliding his coat from my shoulders

"I'm not cold," Josh said covering me back again.

"You are shivering." I countered.

"I'm not shivering I'm just...." Josh started before letting out an exasperated sigh, "I've been kind of stressing out about telling you all of this and I could really use a cigarette right now."

"Ok...so have a cigarette," I said simply.

"I can't"

I cocked a brow, "Why not?"

"Because some pretty girl told me she would kiss me if I stopped smoking so I threw them away." Josh said smirking in my direction. I felt my cheeks flush.

"You haven't smoked since we talked on the phone?" I asked slightly shocked and certainly flattered.

"Nope." Josh said popping his P, "You gunna kiss me now?"

"Nope." I mimicked causing Josh's lip to jut out in a pout. I giggled "You stop smoking for a week and we will talk."

Josh smiled nodding his head in acceptance. "So, I told you about my fabulous upbringing, tell me about yours."

I let out a sigh taking a moment to let the memory of my parents fill my mind, a smile tugging at my lips. "My mom was probably the nicest person you would have ever met. She was soft spoken and kind and she had the most beautiful singing voice. I remember her always smelling like freesia and the house was always filled with the smells of her baking fresh cookies or bread or some amazing meal. My dad looked like a big teddy bear. He was so loving...but strict. He and his best friend Jim were in the ministry together before Dad decided to go into teaching so Faith was always a big part of our lives. I think my Dad's the smartest man I have ever met."

"They sound great..."

I smiled, "They were." Josh let out a sigh shaking his head, "What?" I questioned slightly confused.

"It's just..." he started, "you are so...good. You go to church...you are sweet and innocent...and me..."

I nearly lauhed at Josh's observation of me, "You just don't get it."

"Get what?" he questioned cocking a brow.

"My dad raised us to believe that God has this divine plan for each of us and that nothing happens by chance...nothing; People come in and out of our lives and everything, the good and the bad, happens for a reason. When they died I just kept thinking, what could God's reason possibly be for taking them away from their family who needed them? I am mad all the time," I admitted. "I feel cheated when I think about all the things they will miss...like me getting married or having kids...already my kids are cheated of getting to meet them and it just makes me angry. Then I meet you...someone who grew up the way that you did and it makes me realize how blessed I was to have had them at all...and how selfish I feel for thinking that my life is so unfair. There was a reason we met when we did, it wasn't by chance that you were the one there to catch me when I fell...even if my brothers don't see it that way."

Josh smiled, "Maybe you're right."

"I know I am."

Chapter End Notes:

This is a back story chappie...gives you a little insight into what went on with Josh before he came to Chilton...what his dad does and a look at their relationship.