lillianrhode

105k followers

birdymayjohnston Infection - everyone get your shots

lauragough1 Horse jawline, duck lips, body of man…. seriously wtf

selenamariegeorgia Jailey is really best and joel strom is really cute couple than lily rhode and joel strom @paleyhailey @thejoelstrom @lillianrhode

hailay.paley Aceita que ele ama a Hailey

jazmynruiz2001 At least Hailey can dress better than you

“Do you know what this means?” Hailey holds the latest issue of US Weekly to her chest. “We are officially connected by something that runs much deeper than blood!”

Hailey’s been reading the article to Lily up in Hailey’s bedroom as they get ready for the red carpet together. It’s not exactly the Paley family dinner Lily had been hoping for, but getting ready for a red carpet seems to be a ritual that brings the Paleys together. Hailey offered to let Lily use her glam squad. Hailey has finally achieved a lifelong ambition—to appear on the front cover of a tabloid—and with her ascension, lingering resentment and bitterness between her and Lily has faded away.

Or so Hailey thinks.

“What color do you want to do your lips?” Hailey’s makeup artist asks Lily.

“Red,” Lily says. To complement her pink sequin Monique Lhuillier gown. She steals a look at Hailey in the mirror, who’s back with her nose in the magazine. “Maybe Housewife by Priscilla?” Lily asks the makeup artist.

“Classic.” Hailey looks up from the tabloid and gives Lily an approving smile. A real smile.

“Listen to this…” Hailey reads aloud. “ ‘Lily Rhode’s arrival in the Platinum Triangle shakes up the new season of the hit reality show, shifting the dynamics between the teen cast of celebrity offspring and #richkid train wrecks. This season Lily moves in with the Paleys and joins Hailey’s ranks as a Beverly Hills princess—but only one of them can be queen!’ ”

Hailey throws her head back in laughter. “This is so epic!” She comes up behind Lily sitting in front of the mirror and presses her head against Lily’s as they stare at their reflection. Lily smacks her Housewife lips.

“You and me, girl,” Hailey says. “The dream team. We’re ratings gold!”

Patrick tried to fight Lily on the EP credit. He said there was no way. But Lily insisted it was the only way she would keep his secret. Patrick finally agreed to try to pull some strings.

This season Lily may be introduced as a pawn to Whitney and Hailey, a device to make them look sympathetic, but come season 3 not only will Lily be a permanent cast member, she’ll be the one pulling the strings. And the whole world will finally see @paleyhailey for the fraud she is.

“Let’s take a photo,” Lily says, lifting her phone and snapping a pic of her and Hailey posing in front of the mirror.

lillianrhode

Getting ready together for the premiere reminds Lily of when she and Hailey got ready for Brandon’s party. It was only a month ago but it feels like a lifetime. It’s so clear to Lily now that Hailey was just disarming her before going in for the kill. Now it’s Lily’s turn.

“I hope the US Weekly story isn’t going to come between us now that we’ve decided to start over,” Hailey says, glancing back down at the magazine in her hands. “Joel’s picking me up for the red carpet…”

“No more competition,” Lily says. “It is a new season after all. My first. And I want to start it off with good vibes only.”

Hailey may not realize it yet, but the competition is over. Lily won. Why isn’t it enough, though? Lily doesn’t feel like she won anything. She hates how things ended with her and Joel. That’s one storyline even her EP credit can’t rewrite.

Lily runs her hand down the bodice of her dress, checking her angles in the mirror. Hailey’s glam squad went all out. Her hair is curled and she’s wearing mink eyelashes from Hailey’s favorite brand—appropriately called Lilly Lashes. She and Hailey have never looked more alike.

“All that’s missing is my new clutch,” Lily says. “I left it in the pool house.” She used her lifeguarding savings to buy a Judith Leiber Crystal Swan minaudière while she and Hailey were out shopping. She’ll have to remember to put some candy inside before they leave, in case she gets a craving…

Coming down the stairs on her way to the pool house, Lily sees Patrick talking with Sam in the living room. They grow quiet when they see Lily approaching.

“You look beautiful, Lily!” Sam says. She leans in. “And I’m so excited to hear we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”

Lily looks from Sam straight at Patrick. He takes a sip of his drink.

“And soon, I hope,” Sam says. “We still need to schedule a date to shoot your confessionals. The editors are piecing together the last episodes of the season, right when you make your grand arrival. The highlight of the season, if you ask me! You up to shoot over the next couple of days?”

“Oh, I think so.” Lily’s eyes stay on Patrick. “There’s so much I could say…”

At the pool house Lily looks for her clutch in the bedroom. The blue neon Land of Hopes & Dreams sign is glowing and she stares up at it. She smiles to herself in the electric glow. Once upon a time in Hollywood.

“Lily, there you are!” Whitney steps into the bedroom dressed in a deep-V Balmain gown. She turns on the light. “I wanted to talk to you before we leave.”

Lily picks up her clutch and turns to face her aunt.

“Now that your court case is behind you, and with the show premiering, it’s time to think of the future. I’ve talked it over with Patrick and we would both love it if you would agree to stay with us. On a more permanent basis. Summer is almost over and school will be starting soon…. What do you think of joining Hailey at New Beverly? We want you to make Beverly Hills your home,” Whitney says.

Lily knows that the real reason she’s been invited to stick around is because of the US Weekly cover. She’s proven to be a valuable investment. And she’s just getting started!

“Home,” Lily smiles. “That sounds really nice.”