My birthday parties were always big, perfectly decorated to the theme for that year, with the best cake and countless gifts—but without my father. It was the same with school events. Sports games. Awards ceremonies. He didn’t even have time to try some of the apple fritters my grandmother taught me to make when I’d baked them for a school fundraiser. Instead, he’d just told me to ask my mom for whatever money I was trying to raise and not to worry about actually baking the treats. I’d stood in the doorway, devastated, as he breezed by me with one fritter in my hand, the one I’d saved for him to try.
“Jules.” My mother sighed, stepping around my scattered pencils on the floor to sit on the couch beside me. “We need to have a little talk about the future of the resort.”
My shoulders slumped slightly as I reached down and gathered the rest of the colors from the floor, prompting my mother to wave at me and say, “Darling, just let housekeeping get that later.”
I quickly swiped up the rest of them before she could stop me. I never felt right about having people clean up after me, even if it was part of their job.
“Mama, I know how important the resort is, I promise. You don’t have to tell me again.”
I set my book down on the marbled coffee table and crossed my legs, linking my hands together to rest on my knee. Even if there was no one else around, there was a certain expectation of decorum when I was in any of the public rooms. Even at this time of night. Even in my pajamas.
“Julia,” my father huffed, coming to stand behind my mother, one hand resting on her shoulder, the other on the couch. “I hope you aren’t forgetting everything that our business has given you. Every other kid you know would be lucky to have half of what you do, live in the place that you do, experience the things you do.”
“Yes, of course, Papa.” I nodded insistently, heat rising to my cheeks; I hadn’t meant to sound ungrateful. “I know how lucky I am.”
There was nothing I knew more of in life. While Laurel would be inheriting my grandparents’ coffee house, the Rock Beach Resort was my legacy. Built up from a modest golf course by my father’s determination, it was everything to my family. I couldn’t remember a time when I didn’t know the importance of the resort and that, just like my parents, I was expected to do whatever necessary to help it succeed. Rock Beach was my family… my home… of course, I’d do whatever it took to keep it running and make it better.
Still, they reminded me any chance they got. It was their pride and joy and I wanted nothing more than to make them happy—and have it succeed. Maybe then they could spend a little more time with me.
“Good.” My mom reached over and patted my folded hands, the sentiment feeling colder than comforting because of all her rings that were stacked like miniature platinum and diamond finger-armor. “I should’ve been more specific. Really, what we want to talk to you about, darling, is your school.”
“M-My school?” I squeaked as my head jerked back in surprise. Out of all the things, how could school be a problem? I studied. I did well—all my grades were As. I was in the top of my class. I wasn’t taking any chances; I wanted to get into the best nursing program in the state.
“Yes, dear.” She glanced up at my father whose eyes stared in my direction but past me. I knew he was already thinking about tomorrow—the meetings, the people, the next steps toward more wealth and status. “We’re transferring you to a different school for the rest of the year… for the rest of high school.”
Years of social etiquette training masked the jaw-dropping announcement into just the slightest part of my lips.
“W-What?” I asked in soft disbelief. “What school? I-I don’t understand.”
School felt like my only interaction with real life. This place—with its world class food, fancy furniture, maids, and parties—wasn’t real life. School was where my friends were, where Laurel was. It was the gateway to how I got to spend time with the side of my family that my mother most days pretended didn’t exist.
Her spine straightened along with her smile. “We’re moving you to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the remainder of high school.”
Our Lady of Mount Carmel was a Catholic boarding school about twenty minutes south of Carmel. But twenty miles might as well have been twenty thousand leagues for how effectively it would cut me off from my friends and family.
“Why?” I managed to ask in a calm whisper. Ladies didn’t raise their voice, especially in moments of disagreement. Ladies were always calm, collected, and demure.
“Your father and I feel that your education will be much better there, especially without so many distractions.” Her smile twitched. “Don’t you want the best education you can get, Jules?”
I did.
I couldn’t argue that I did.
But school was more than just my education.
“What about my friends?”
“Oh.” She waved me off. “You’ll make new ones, Jules. Better ones. You’ll make the kind of friends that would come here regularly.”
I blinked, realizing that I was fighting back tears. What about Laurel? What about my grandparents? Would I still see them?
I knew better than to ask. When my parents had married, my mom stayed away from her side of the family, and I still couldn’t understand why.
“Of course,” I began hesitantly, “I want the best education. I’m sure that would be an even bigger help on my applications for nursing school and, of course, I want that. But…” My fingers dug into my knee, willing my leg not to shake. “Maybe it would be okay if I just stayed at Carmel High? I’m doing really well and I’m in all the hardest classes,” I pressed. “I’m sure that will be good enough.”
“Julia.” The smile that flickered over my mom’s face was brief and patronizing. “I’m sorry, darling, but this isn’t a discussion. We’re doing what we think is going to be best for your future and your future here at the resort. At Our Lady you will be in school with many of the children whose influential parents frequent the resort. It’s absolutely critical that we foster good relationships with these people, don’t you agree? Don’t you want to help us make sure that Rock Beach does well so you can continue to live such a gilded life?”
No.
The thought came unbidden and instantaneously to my frenzied mind.
“Darling, this isn’t just about school—about what’s best for you. It’s about what’s best for the family.” There was a duplicitous firmness to her tone, her words strong yet hollow. “Sometimes, we have to sacrifice a little of what we want for the greater good so that no harm befalls the family, yes?”
The silver of her evening dress shimmered in the soft light. It was strange how a single color could transform both lighter and darker—kind of like the facts I was being given. They shifted and twisted under the light until my stomach turned because I was starting to doubt my own mother.
I swallowed hard, contemplating a choice I didn’t have. A better school, a better education, and all in all something that would help not only me but my family and Rock Beach. I couldn’t argue. More than that, my heart screamed that I shouldn’t. I should be grateful. I should do this for my family after everything that they’d done for me.
“Of course, Mama,” I said softly with a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Good girl,” my dad injected, patting the couch before eyeing the door. “Alright, now that that’s settled, time for bed, Jules, and Jackie, we need to go over tomorrow’s agenda.”
The goodnight wishes felt foreign and the kisses on my head didn’t register. Slowly, with limbs that felt like lumber, I collected my coloring book and pencils and walked back to my room.
It was too late to call Laurel back now. I’d have to break the news to her tomorrow.
When my head hit the pillow, I felt the first tears leak onto the fabric. Ladies don’t cry.
But I wasn’t a lady right now. Right now, I was just a girl who felt like she was losing the only people who really seemed to care about her. And for some reas
on, that felt like I was losing everything.
This wasn’t supposed to happen to rich people. That was the whole point of having wealth, so that nothing bad could happen to you. But the only thing I could think as I drifted off into sad slumber was that something bad had happened. No matter who my parents were. No matter where I lived. No matter how few worries in life I had.
That night was the start of a domino of disasters. One slight tipping into the next.
Until one day, I would learn my life was carefully crafted to sparkle like the rarest gem, refracting light but not reflecting the truth.
One day, I would see that all the gilded and fancy things I was conditioned to be grateful for were nothing more than sparkling shackles and bejeweled bars of the cage I’d been raised in.
One day, I would realize that all the money and the shiny things were nothing more than crystalline codes to the world of what and not who I was—messages I would accept because they came with rationales and excuses from my parents who I loved and trusted to do what was best for me.
One day, I would realize I was bespoken—claimed by my parents and the resort—and worse, that my life was bespoke—tailor-made for a specific purpose and no longer my own.
And on that day, my heart would break to know it was the people I thought loved me who could hurt me the most.
Grab your copy of BESPOKEN here!
To Mr. GQ—I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything.
To Brandy and Kassa—Thank you for being gentle with me as I worked through this story… or maybe as this story worked through me.
To Najla—Thank you for always striving to bring my vision perfectly to life.
To Ellie, Rosa, and Stacey—Thank you for making everything about my words sparkle and shine. You are the fairy godmothers in this fairytale.
To all the Bloggers—Thank you. A million times. For every little thing.
To Colleen and Amy—Thank you for choosing this one. I’m proud of all my books, but this one took faith and vulnerability to put out there, and you picked it. And that will always mean the world to me.
To my loyal Readers—Thank you for being there and loving my words, no matter where they take me. But especially thank you for loving the stories that hit so close to home.
Standalones
Reputation
Redemption
Carmel Cove Series
Beholden
Bespoken (Coming September 2020)
The Odyssey Duet
The Fall of Troy
The Judgment of Paris
Country Love Collection
Tequila
Ready to Run
Fastest Girl in Town
Last Name
Winter Games Series
Up in the Air
On the Edge
Enjoy the Ride
In Too Deep
Over the Top
The Gentlemen’s Guild Series
The Artist’s Touch
The Sculptor’s Seduction
The Painter’s Passion
The Passion & Perseverance Trilogy
(A Pride and Prejudice Retelling)
First Impressions
Second Chances
Third Time is the Charm
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Hey there!
So, you want to know a little bit about me and my writing? Awesome! Even though I write *a lot*… writing about myself always proves to be difficult. I wonder if my ‘About Me’ could just consist of memes… that would be fantastic!
Alright, let’s give this a go. First and foremost, I should warn you that I have a serious obsession with coffee. If you’ve already found my Instagram, you know this. Other things I love? Wine. Friends (the real ones and the TV show), laughing so hard I cry, painting, snowboarding, cooking, traveling, reading, and, of course, writing. OH, and Disney movies.
Rebecca Sharp is a pen name. One of these days maybe I’ll include my real name at the end of a book or something. Anyway, I’m also a dentist living in PA with my amazing husband who we affectionately refer to as Mr. GQ.
Okay, okay. That’s enough about me. Let’s move onto my books. I (currently) write contemporary and new adult romances. My first book was published in the Fall of 2016 and I haven’t slowed down since. I love strong heroines and bad boys that turn out to be good men. There will always be a happy ending because I just can’t stomach anything else. Let’s see… Happily Ever Afters? Check. Hot alphas? Check. Feisty heroines? Check.
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Rebecca
Beholden: A Small-Town Standalone Romance (Carmel Cove Book 1) Page 34