After weeks of wondering what would cause The Bachelor‘s Colton Underwood to jump a fence and flee from film crews, Bachelor Nation finally has its answer.
In Monday’s all-new episode of the ABC reality show, Underwood was faced with the much-anticipated Fantasy Suite dates, where he and final women Cassie, Tayshia and Hannah G. would each get to spend a night alone together.
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It was a point of stress for Colton, a virgin, before he was eliminated during Hometown Dates in Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette, but going into the first date with Tayshia, he was much more comfortable, even joking with host Chris Harrison that he didn’t want a repeat of the “awkward conversation” they had before.
“There’s no secret with my virginity,” he told the longtime Bachelor host. “It’s not something I have mapped out…I think the moment you start planning things out, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”
He added, “If I feel like I’m in love, I could see it happening 100 percent.”
Things definitely seemed like they were going in that direction on his first romantic Fantasy Suite date with Tayshia, which started with a helicopter ride over Portugal and ended with Colton confessing he was ready to “take the next step” with her.
“Last night was new territory for both of us. It was interesting,” Tayshia teased about their night together the next morning. “We didn’t have the physical intimacy that I wanted, but I got to see him for who he truly is and it validated my feelings for him.”
“Right now I am not in love, I am falling in love,” Colton explained of his unwillingness to take the next step with Tayshia, adding that with two other relationships to consider, he couldn’t seal the deal physically.
On Cassie’s date, Colton admitted he was “falling hard” for the blonde beauty, but the clearly smitten couple was derailed when they got serious about their expectations for the end of their journey together—and when Colton revealed her father had refused to give his blessing for their potential engagement during last week’s hometown dates.
“That’s really important that my dad approves or gives his blessing. I don’t get it,” she told the camera in tears. “I know that they want the best for me, so the fact that they weren’t 100 percent sold on Colton and I together kind of freaks me out. And then it makes me confused that he’s the right person—do we need more time? I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused over something so big.”
Cassie’s confusion continued when her dad turned up to surprise her in Portugal, telling her that while Colton seemed like a “nice guy,” he didn’t think his daughter was ready to commit to marriage. Cassie admitted that while she didn’t want things to be “over” with Colton at the end of the season, she wasn’t ready to accept a proposal without “more time.”
Colton, meanwhile, had decided that Cassie was “the one” for him at the end of The Bachelor:”Outside of all of this I can definitely see us working forever. I feel like my whole life has been leading to tonight. Because I love Cassie. I want to be with Cassie. My heart is complete with Cassie.”
Throughout the season, the former NFL player admitted that being left with a ring and no woman to accept it at the end of everything was his worst fear, so when Cassie told him she would be heading home due to the “doubts” she was having about their relationship, it sent him into an emotional spiral.
“It’s not easy going through and going on dates with other women when all I do is think about you, but this is the rest of my life and it’s bigger than anything I’ve got going on,” he confessed to Cassie before she left. “The last thing I’m gonna do is give up and the last thing I’m gonna do is walk away from this relationship.”
“At the end of this, I want to be with you,” he continued, adding that he would give up getting engaged if that’s what she wanted. “I love you.”
Cassie decided that despite his admission of love, she had to leave Colton behind, breaking his heart and setting off the breakdown that led him to leave his villa—and the camera crew—behind, even if that meant hurdling a fence to the shock of everyone, even host Chris Harrison.
“He just jumped the f—ing fence,” Harrison said in disbelief. “I have no idea where he went. He hopped the fence and took off, I didn’t see where he went. We’re out in the middle of nowhere. Holy s—, he is gone.”
As the scene faded to black, Bachelor Nation is left to wonder where Colton went, and if he ever found his way back to Cassie.
The Bachelor‘s Women Tell All special airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo credit: ABC
