Tayshia Adams had whittled away her Bachelorette contestant pool to the final three men ahead of the fantasy suites, but it looks like there may be a sliver of hope for Ben Smith stans following his elimination. During the Dec. 15 episode, Adams enjoyed thoughtful “hometown” dates around the La Quinta Resort and met family members of Smith, Ivan Hall, Zac Clark, and Brendan Morais. At the rose ceremony she wound up sending Smith packing, leaving him in visible shock over the decision, especially because he didn’t have the chance to tell Adams that he’d fallen in love with her yet.
“The last two weeks showed me a lot about the things I was feeling for you,” the 29-year-old personal trainer said, but he didn’t drop the “L” word. Following his departure, Adams told the camera, “I’m not asking for this grand gesture, but the fact he couldn’t give me one ounce of emotion was extremely disappointing.”
But the series continues to live up to its ongoing promise to serve up dramatics, and Smith delivered quite the grand gesture during Monday’s half of the two-part finale. After a crushing exit by former frontrunner Brendan Morais, Smith appears outside of Chris Harrison’s suite, asking the host if he could get another chance to tell Adams that he loves her. Harrison gives his permission, and right before the bachelorette is leaving for the rose ceremony, Smith knocks on her door. The personal trainer confesses his feelings for a visibly stunned Adams, revealing that he loves her and understands her frustrations with his inability to express himself earlier. Overwhelmed, Adams asks for a moment alone as she retreats into her bedroom, asking an unseen producer what she’s supposed to do. The episode ends with her being told that “it’s up to you.”
So, does this mean there’s a chance Smith could reenter the competition? Will his admission of love be too little, too late for Adams? Could he wind up getting his own stay in the fantasy suite? How will this affect her other relationships? Most importantly, how on earth is she going to decide between all of these amazing men? We’ll have to tune in on Tuesday to see how it all shakes out!