Rachel Lindsay picked Bryan Abasolo at the end of her search for love on The Bachelorette -- and he in turn proposed marriage during Monday night's three-hour Season 13 finale broadcast on ABC.

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Rachel chose Bryan, a 37-year-old chiropractor from Miami, FL, over her runner-up Peter Kraus, a 31-year-old personal trainer and business owner from Madison, WI. Eric Bigger, a 29-year-old personal trainer from Los Angeles, CA, finished in third place and was eliminated after the Bachelorette's Fantasy Suite dates.

In a Tuesday interview with Bryan on the phone as well, Rachel talked to Reality TV World about her final decision of the reality dating process. Rachel also addressed criticism in regards to how she handled her romance with Peter.

Below is what Rachel had to say. Check back with Reality TV World soon to read more from the happy couple's post-The Bachelorette call. 

Reality TV World: Rachel, when exactly did you determine you were going to choose Bryan?

Rachel Lindsay: When I started to realize it was Bryan, Geneva is when it really hit me. When I was defending him to my family and explaining what he means to me and why he's so important in my life, it was at that point when I was starting to describe him that I truly realized he was the one for me.

RELATED LINK: RACHEL LINDSAY'S FRIENDS REPORTEDLY FEEL 'THE BACHELORETTE' STAR CHOSE WRONG BACHELOR, RUSHED FINAL DECISION  

Reality TV World: You've done a couple of different interviews where you've said there were other "deep-rooted" issues in your relationship with Peter beyond his unwillingness to propose -- can you elaborate on that and explain what some of those other specific issues were?

Rachel Lindsay: For me, Geneva was a really, really big week. I had three one-on-one dates and a group date, and with my one-on-one dates, the dates were very telling and allowed me to peel back more layers of each guy. And with Bryan, that progressed our relationship.

And with Peter, it's when I started to see some other deep-rooted issues that made me realize he's not the type of man I want as a husband. I've been very open about how I want someone who knows what he wants, knows who he is and where he's going.

And the more I peeled back the layers with Peter, I realized that he wasn't that person. And I think the proposal became such a focal point because that's what happens at the end of the show, but that was not the reason I didn't -- or I decided not to choose Peter, that wasn't the reason. And that's what I mean by deep-rooted issues.

RELATED LINK: 'BACHELOR IN PARADISE' SPOILERS: WHICH SEASON 4 COUPLES MADE IT TO THE END? WHO LEFT ALONE?  

Reality TV World: Rachel, you told People [in your new cover story interview] you knew you were going to break up with Peter when you went to his hotel room in Rioja, but when he asked you if he was "the one" you wanted to spend the rest of your life with [while you were there], you repeated, "I can't answer that." Can you explain why you didn't answer if you already knew you were breaking up with him?

Rachel Lindsay: I mean, I'm just going to be honest. The reason why I said, "I can't say that yet," is because I couldn't say that yet. I was on a TV show. I couldn't come out and flat out say -- answer it in that way.

If I had a choice, I wouldn't have wanted to bring two people along at the end with three people or four people. Once I knew [the winner], I would rather have just made that decision. So I couldn't answer that in the context of being on the show.

Reality TV World: Given you hadn't committed to Peter being the one for you yet, do you think it's fair for you to be frustrated he hadn't committed to proposing to you yet?

Rachel Lindsay: I think I was justified in being frustrated with Peter because to get that far and still not know what you want to do was a complete contradiction to what he told me he would do.

In Geneva, we had a conversation and he said that if he didn't know, he would bow out, and he didn't do that. Peter continued to just give me enough to string me along but wasn't really there to make that commitment, like didn't know that he wanted to make that commitment.

And I think to just focus it on that one line -- and that's why he couldn't do it -- is giving him an out.

RELATED LINK: PETER KRAUS -- MEET 'THE BACHELORETTE' BACHELOR'S EX-GIRLFRIEND BRITTANY HANSEN (PHOTO GALLERY)

Reality TV World: Rachel, what is your reaction to all the viewer opinions out there that you allegedly cared more about an engagement than choosing the right guy and that you would have picked Peter had he been more willing to propose?

Rachel Lindsay: I feel like people aren't watching what I was watching. Peter did say that he would propose at the end. He said he didn't want to lose me and he would do that for me, and I still said, "No." So at that point, I had already made up my mind when I walked into the room that I was sending him home.

I promised myself that I would never -- I did not want to bring two guys to the proposal if I knew what I was going to do. And I knew what I was going to do. So it's confusing to me why people think that I would settle on such an important decision just to get a ring on my finger.

I'm 32, I was single, I've taken my time in this whole process because of how much it means to me, like, I didn't come and do all of this just to get a ring at the end of it, no. I don't understand why people keep saying that.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR FINAL PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTO GALLERY) 

To learn more information about Bryan, click here to visit our Bryan Abasolo page or click here to see our Bryan Abasolo photo gallery.

For additional information about Peter, click here to visit our Peter Kraus page or click here to see our Peter Kraus photo gallery.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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