Beautiful Lies

BEAUTIFUL LIES PAULA DOMBROWIAK By: Paula Dombrowiak Copyright © 2023 Paula Dombrowiak First Edition, 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the above copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Cover Image: Stock Photo Cover Design: Lori Jackson www.lorijacksondesign.com Editor: Katy Nielsen www.pauladombrowiak.com To the over forty club, this book is for you. AUTHOR’S NOTE This story takes place in the Phoenix Metro area of Arizona. You might recognize some of the landmarks described in this book, and while some of the places and names are accurate, others have been embellished or changed for the sake of the story. For example, the Yucca Tap Room where Lake first meets Adrian is a real place in Danelle Plaza in Tempe on the corner of Mill and Southern Avenue. It has been in business for over forty years. When the monsoon hits and it starts to rain, Adrian pulls Lake into the alcove of a record store. There is no such record store; it was created to provide shelter for these two lovers. The Salt River Wild Horses featured in a pivotal scene in the book are very real. If you ever get a chance to visit Arizona, tubing down the Salt River is an absolute must. If you would like to learn more about the Salt River Wild Horses, you can visit the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. I hope when you read this book you recognize places you’ve been or may want to visit, because Arizona is a diverse ecosystem of untamed beauty that will capture your heart and invade your soul. CONTENTS Playlist Prologue 1. Don’t Be A Drama Queen 2. I Smell Rain 3. The Tap Room 4. Let it Burn 5. Old Enough to Drink 6. Bride or Bride? 7. Jake Ryan 8. Earth to Lake 9. It’s a Family Name 10. We Have Your Father 11. Now it’s Your Turn 12. It’s a Great Ass 13. The Best I’ve Ever Had 14. You Kept Me Waiting 15. Beautiful Lies 16. The Third Button 17. So Goddamn Pretty 18. Too Old for Nicknames 19. Still Having Fun 20. I Remember Everything 21. Turn it Up 22. Annual Potluck 23. So, You’re the Reason 24. Moral Compass 25. Expiration Date 26. Playing Dirty 27. Big Shoes to Fill 28. Wingman Five Months Later 29. Graceland 30. Since You Asked Nicely Epilogue The New Boss Blurb Also by Paula Dombrowiak About the Author Acknowledgments PLAYLIST Album This book contains interactive chapters with song titles and links so you can listen while you read. The songs are listed in order of when they appear in the book. Prologue: This is How a Heart Breaks by Rob Thomas Only Happy When it Rains by Garbage A Change Would Do You Good by Sheryl Crow The Pusher by Steppenwolf In the Air Tonight by In This Moment Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer Polyester Bride by Liz Phair Reasons I Drink by Alanis Morissette How you Feel by Wargirl My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow and For Your Love by Måneskin Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You by Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent and Criminal by Fiona Apple Rolling Stone by Lainey Wilson Never Say Never (with Lainey Wilson) by Cole Swindell and Stone by Whiskey Myers Lie to Me by Tate McRae and Ali Gatie Medicine Man by Charlotte OC House Fire by Tyler Childers Tear Me to Pieces by MEG MYERS Take Me Away by Morgan Wade and Crazy by Aerosmith Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow and Bird by Billie Marten Given the Dog a Bone by AC/DC and Thrills by Donna Missal You Put a Spell on Me by Austin Giorgio Kashmir by Samvel Ayrapetyan and Heat Waves by Glass Animals Immortale (feat. Vegas Jones) by Måneskin Starfire by Caitlyn Smith Tell Me PROLOGUE This is How a Heart Breaks by Rob Thomas There are times in your life when you choose to stay stagnant, as if you're a voyeur watching it pass you by, but the problem is you think you’re a part of it, not realizing you’ve made any choice at all. You think you’re living but you’re not – until someone crashes into your life, turns it upside down, and shows you a different angle. That’s when muted colors turn vibrant and you begin to notice the beat of your own heart, each one thumping against your ribcage as if it’s trying to break free. You notice the air pressing down and suddenly you’re aware of gravity, because that’s all that’s keeping you grounded. That’s what happened to me, one year ago, on the eve of my forty-third birthday. But I was too stubborn, too stuck in the past; unable to recognize what was right in front of me. Now I’m in a race against time to get to him. Each mile is an endless void, taking up space, and taking up time. Time that I’m running out of… I can almost hear his dirty whispers in my ear. “You’ve made me wait far too long, Lake.” The image of him takes up all the space in my mind… so perfect, so pretty that it hurts. Pushing my Porsche past