Bachelor in Paradise couple John Paul Jones and Tayshia Adams' relationship just got more serious, as John Paul has moved to the West Coast to be closer to his girlfriend -- and for another surprising reason!
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"A few opportunities came up that were really just too hard to pass up and it just made sense to move," John Paul, 24, who previously lived in Maryland, told Us Weekly.
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"Tayshia is only an hour and a half away so that was a big draw and to my surprise, a talent agent reached out to me and they've been consistently getting me auditions and I'm waiting to hear back [on projects]."
The now-aspiring actor elaborated, "I honestly never could've expected this entire occurrence, it's completely crazy. I'll never be able to do this again so it just seemed like the right move."
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John Paul reportedly drove cross-country with his brother and touched down in Los Angeles, CA, on Thursday, October 17.
"I'm excited to consistently see my girlfriend who I've been dating from across the country, so that will eliminate a lot of loneliness that I experienced [living in] Maryland, working in my career as a finance analyst," John explained.
And Tayshia apparently couldn't be happier her man is now a short car-ride away.
"Tayshia is definitely excited. It reduces a lot of the hassle that came with buying a plane ticket and visiting her for a weekend. It was really difficult [being long-distance]," John Paul admitted to the magazine.
"I had a full-time job working 50 hours a week and it was tough to go out for three days. I would come out here and have one day with her and have to fly back. Really I am killing two birds with one stone."
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Once John Paul arrived in California late last week, he had immediate plans to hang out with Tayshia over the weekend.
"I'm really excited to just be a normal couple. We just really haven't had that normalcy that you would experience in a relationship given that we were hanging onto each other via FaceTime and now it'll be more of a tangible thing," John Paul told Us.
"We're just excited to be around each other. We were trying to savor every moment that we had with each other when we were long-distance but, again, really just excited to have a really normal relationship. I'm excited to be a part of Tayshia's life."
John Paul and Tayshia had an unexpected but entertaining romance on Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise this past summer.
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Their dynamic was flirty, playful and fun. Tayshia once painted John Paul on the beach in a nod to the iconic movie Titanic when Jack sketched Rose, and John Paul planned a Paradise prom for Tayshia since she had sadly never attended her high school prom.
John Paul's feelings for Tayshia developed quickly and were always further along, so the couple seemed to discover depth in their relationship a little too late.
As a result, when John Paul told Tayshia that he loved her and she was the woman of his dreams, Tayshia found herself hesitant and second-guessing everything.
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Tayshia therefore dumped John Paul before they could enjoy a Fantasy Suite, eliminating the possibility of an engagement.
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However, when John Paul walked away from Tayshia in Mexico brokenhearted, she ran after him and sobbed uncontrollably.
"We had a whirlwind romance, and I think it took me by surprise. And when he told me he loved me, those are words I don't throw around lightly. I wasn't ready for that. I'm the last person to throw around an engagement or marriage," Tayshia, who married once and divorced, told Bachelor in Paradise host Chris Harrison during the reunion portion of the sixth-season finale.
"The right thing to do was just to let him go."
Tayshia, however, said she couldn't stop thinking about John Paul once she returned home. Tayshia also caught herself talking about John Paul constantly with her family and friends because he had made her so happy.
"Did you make a mistake in saying goodbye?" Chris asked Tayshia.
"Yeah, very much so," Tayshia replied at the reunion.
"But then I talked to my mom about it, and I decided, 'I want to go after him'... So I flew out to Maryland... I'm a bold girl. When I got there, I was shaking. I was so nervous. I did not know what he would say, like if he'd slam the door in my face."
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Footage then played of Tayshia arriving at John Paul's house and him coming to the front door and welcoming her inside. John Paul seemed shocked to see her, but he said he wasn't mad at her because she had every right to feel the way she felt.
Tayshia explained she didn't want to lead John Paul on in Paradise but realized he pretty much checked off all her boxes when it comes to what she wants in a future partner.
"John Paul Jones, I want to explore things with you!" Tayshia said.
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"Oh my gosh, I feel the same way! I still can't believe this is real right now," John Paul gushed with a huge blushing smile. "This is the most pleasant surprise I've ever had."
John Paul then asked Tayshia to be his girlfriend, and she yelled, "Yes, I will! John Paul Jones!"
"Yay, she's my girlfriend! Isn't she hot?!" John Paul shouted.
Tayshia and John Paul kissed when they reunited on the stage at the reunion, and they both said they were very happy doing things on their own time and in their own way.
Chris then asked John Paul if he still loved Tayshia, which prompted John Paul to get down on one knee and recite his girlfriend a poem -- after Tayshia nearly had a heart attack, according to Chris.
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