Bachelor in Paradise's Kylee Russell has revealed if she actually talked to Aven Jones -- or if his fire-emoji was the extent of their communication -- prior to their meeting in Mexico.
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After Kylee's stint on Zach Shallcross' season of The Bachelor, Kylee posted a series of sexy photos on Instagram, and according to the bachelorette, Aven liked several of her pictures and once commented with a fire emoji.
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Aven apparently made it pretty clear that he was interested in Kylee, and Kylee told Bachelor in Paradise cameras that she couldn't wait for Aven to arrive so they could see if their mutual physical attraction had the potential to blossom into a relationship.
However, the hype surrounding Kylee and Aven's meeting had Bachelor in Paradise fans questioning if the pair had already met in the real world and planned to date on the ABC spinoff before filming began.
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"No. Everyone assumes, for whatever reason, that we talked. The Internet really shipped us. I don't know why or when this came about," Kylee said during an October 2 appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, which is co-hosted by Bachelor in Paradise spouses Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt.
"I mean, I had a crush on him prior to going on Zach's season, but never in a million years did I think that he would like me back. So unfortunately, he never sent me a DM before walking to the beach."
And the 25-year-old postpartum nurse from Charlotte, NC, admitted she "hated that" because she "really wanted to know" what was going on inside Aven's mind.
"I wanted to know if this guy was interested in me," Kylee shared of Rachel Recchia's The Bachelorette 19 runner-up.
"He was really the only one I had my eyes on, so I [didn't] want to walk on that beach expecting him to like me back -- and I had no clue if he was going to. So no, the answer is no."
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Kylee reiterated the "only communication" she and Aven had before Bachelor in Paradise "was the fire emoji."
Serena said she thought the fire emoji sent Kylee "enough of a message," but Kylee argued, "You could have at least given me the heart eyes!"
Kylee also explained how she tends to overthink things and spiral a little bit.
"The whole time, I was like, 'Okay, did he accidentally swipe up and send that? Was that on purpose?' I was going through all of the motions. I just really hope that he truly meant that fire emoji," Kylee said. "But who knows!"
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Serena told Kylee that it was probably "for the best" she and Aven didn't DM each other or spark a pre-Paradise romance.
Joe also agreed it was the "right move" for Kylee and Aven to keep their distance from one another before traveling to Mexico so they could step on the beach with an open mind.
"I think so too," Kylee acknowledged, "and I think it would then make our relationship more organic."
Kylee continued, "And honestly, it made me more excited. There was all this hype around us and I didn't even know the man, so I was just excited to see how he was when I finally met him. But I was also kind of scared, too, because I was like... 'Is he going to live up to that hype?'"
Kylee shared with Joe and Serena how she thought their first interaction was "either going to go really well" or "crash and burn."
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The Bachelor in Paradise bachelorette went on to tease, "You'll just have to see what happens."
When asked if she was upset that Aven wasn't on the Paradise beach on Day 1, Kylee confessed that she was "crying, screaming and throwing up" in frustration.
"I tried to play it cool. I was like, 'Oh, it's fine. Maybe he's coming down later. Maybe they're just doing this to trick me.' But I was freaking out inside," Kylee admitted.
"I was talking to [Mercedes Northup], saying, 'What's going on? He's not here.' I was breaking my neck the whole entire time watching people walk down those stairs, and he never came. So I tried to play it cool, but I don't know if I came across cool. Probably not."
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But Kylee revealed that she wouldn't have quit Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season if Aven never showed up.
"No, I [wouldn't have left]. I didn't think it would be fair of me to have that attitude," Kylee said.
"Because [while] I liked the thought and the idea of us, I didn't really know him. So I didn't think it was fair to put all of my eggs in his basket. And he might get down there and be a person that I don't want any part of."
Kylee reasoned how her options were still "wide open" during those first few days of filming Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season.
"I really feel like I put myself out there in the first couple hours of Paradise," Kylee explained.
"I was like, 'If he's not coming, I've got to develop a gameplan. I've got to start talking to people.' So I was disappointed but still excited to see who else could show some interest [in me]."
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And there was certainly a lot of interest. Kylee appeared to be highly sought after on the beach. In fact, she told Aven once he arrived in Paradise that she was "a hot commodity."
Kylee said "shock is an understatement" in regards to the attention she had received right off the bat. Will Urena and Aaron Bryant, for example, both initially set their sights on her.
And Kylee revealed that Brayden Bowers also pursued her right away.
"The whole time flying to Mexico, I was thinking, 'If one person is willing to talk to me, that's all I need and maybe I can swoon them with my personality,'" Kylee shared.
"Never in a million years did I think... a plethora of guys [would want to talk to me]. So I was surprised... but it kind of made me nervous a little bit."
Once Aven arrived in Bachelor in Paradise with a Date Card, he asked Kylee out.
Following an incredible date on a yacht and many romantic kisses, Kylee determined that she was sold on Aven and could picture him being her boyfriend -- and maybe even her husband -- in the future. She therefore dumped Will once she got back to the Paradise beach.
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