Bachelor in Paradise featured Kylee Russell dumping Will Urena for Aven Jones, Hannah Brown shaking things up in Paradise with a new bonfire twist, and the elimination of Greer Blitzer, Cat Carter and Brooklyn Willie during the Season 9 episode that aired Thursday night on ABC.
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"I wanted it to work so badly because I have so much love to give. I'm just ready to have someone be able to love me as much as I love them. I want that happy ending, and that's the harsh reality -- is I just want to be chosen."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
The Bachelor in Paradise broadcast picked up where last week's episode had left off, with seven men and 11 women on the beach on the first day. People had already started pairing off and coupling up.
The early couples were Will and Kylee, Blake Moynes and Jess Girod, Rachel Recchia and Sean McLaughlin, Aaron Bryant and Mercedes Northup, Kat Izzo and Brayden, and Aaron Schwartzman and Samantha "Sam" Jeffries.
Will had completely closed the door on Olivia Lewis, and he told the Bachelor in Paradise cameras that he was falling for Kylee. Will also assured Kylee that he only had eyes for her and he really liked her.
"There is nothing you can do to ruin my day!" Will gushed.
Olivia, meanwhile, was frustrated and pissed off that Kylee had stolen Will from her.
"She was excited to see Aven -- not Will, Aven! I wanted to tell Will that, but I didn't," Olivia lamented to Sam.
Olivia proceeded to share in a confessional, "Kylee is going to ride that wave until Aven comes because that's who she wants, and then Will is going to be pushed to the wayside. And guess who won't feel bad for you, Will? This girl! You are just a placeholder until Aven comes."
Aven from Rachel and Gabby Windey's season of The Bachelorette then showed up in Paradise.
Aven, Rachel's The Bachelorette 19 runner-up, told Bachelor in Paradise host Jesse Palmer that he and Rachel had moved on from their relationship and he was looking for a fresh start.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOWKylee admitted Aven was her "No. 1 guy" going into Bachelor in Paradise and so there was a lot of buildup around them meeting.
Since Kylee had already formed a connection with Will, she confessed that she felt sick to her stomach and didn't know what to do.
"We only know each other through social media. There has been a liking of pictures and a fire emoji, that's literally it. And now it's happening!" Kylee told the cameras.
When Kylee hugged Aven for the first time on the Bachelor in Paradise beach, she said she had an out-of-body experience. But Olivia was also very interested in Aven, and she told the cameras, "If I don't leave with this man, I'm going to be very upset!"
Aven arrived with a Date Card and asked to have a conversation with Kylee first. Aven and Kylee agreed their meeting was "long overdue," and their chat brought Will's anxiety to a level of "one thousand."
Aven told Kylee not to feel any pressure to talk to him or date him -- even though their friends had been hyping up a potential romance for them -- and Kylee admitted to him that she was "a hot commodity" in Paradise.
Will hoped Aven was going to take Olivia on a date, and Aven did ask to speak with the "cute" Olivia as well.
"I think she might sabotage me," Kylee vented in a confessional while she watched Aven and Olivia interact.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Regardless, Aven asked Kylee out on a date, and Kylee announced how she'd "love to go" on it.
"Oh sh-t," Will whispered in the background, before telling the cameras that his soul had left his body in that moment.
And Olivia confessed that she felt "hurt" to be overlooked again.
Before Kylee embarked on her Bachelor in Paradise date, she approached Will and let him know that he had made her feel so good. Kylee said she appreciated how Will was "all in" for her, and Will said that he'd continue to choose her -- even after her date with Aven.
Kylee told Will that her desire to explore other options in Paradise may only make their relationship stronger, and Will was a good sport about it. Will let Kylee know that the ball was in her court, and he was optimistic that what he had shown and given her so far would be enough.
For Kylee and Aven's Bachelor in Paradise date, the couple popped champagne on a yacht and sailed on the ocean. Kylee joked about how she hoped Aven would want to marry her right after their outing.
Aven told Kylee that he liked her a lot and was really happy to be on a date with her, and Kylee admitted that when she had competed on The Bachelor, Aven was her first choice for the show's star.
The pair discovered that they had a lot in common, and Kylee said Aven had met all of her Bachelor in Paradise expectations and that her heart was "pulling toward" him. Kylee gushed about feeling "giddy" inside, and then the couple kissed.
"The kiss was amazing! Do not get any ideas because he is my man and you cannot kiss him. But you're missing out!" Kylee boasted in a confessional.
"I would love waking up next to him every single day for the rest of my life. We'll make babies and they're going to be beautiful! This is literally my wildest dream. I'm so excited!"
Back on the Bachelor in Paradise beach, Blake said he liked how Jess was very sweet and well-mannered, and Kat shared how Brayden was everything she wanted and she already developed "deep feelings" for him.
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And although Aaron B. had started off with Mercedes, he was shown hanging out with Eliza Isichei.
Eliza noted how she and Aaron B. were pretty much attached at the hip, and she was happy about that because she didn't want to repeat history and get involved in a love triangle similar to what she had experience with Rodney Mathews and Justin Glaze last summer on Bachelor in Paradise.
But Mercedes was still into Aaron B., and she was upset because -- after they kissed -- he was no longer talking to or pursuing her. Mercedes was watching Aaron B. and Eliza bond from a distance, and she admitted it was a "weird" and upsetting feeling.
Aaron B. explained to the Bachelor in Paradise cameras how he felt "conflicted" between the two women. Aaron B. said his conversation with Eliza flowed but he couldn't ignore the fact he had kissed Mercedes.
Aaron B. therefore decided to be open and direct by informing Eliza about the kiss he had with someone else. Eliza tried to play it calm and cool, but she was "shocked" and "triggered" by the news.
"Another situation when there's three people involved, I can't. I can't," Eliza told the Bachelor in Paradise cameras. "I had no idea [he kissed Mercedes]."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Eliza started to cry and acknowledged how she was "a ball of anxiety" over potentially getting stuck in another love triangle on Bachelor in Paradise.
Eliza's tears turned into a bawling session because she didn't want to be in that situation again, and she explained to Aaron B. how she felt a bit turned off and her walls were going up.
Mercedes then accused Aaron B. of being a poor communicator, and Aaron B. wished he had been upfront a lot sooner.
Aaron B. didn't know how to navigate this situation because he didn't want to completely close himself off to either woman. He said he was about to lose his mind!
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The next day, Olivia was on the verge of snapping, and Cat Carter was desperate for another man to join the cast.
But instead of another man, The Bachelorette's Season 15 star Hannah Brown walked down the steps.
"Hurricane Hannah is about to hit the beach in Paradise, and they better take cover!" Hannah said in a confessional. "The Beast is about to beast... I know you can find love here!"
Hannah walked down the beach with a Date Card in hand, and Cat's eyes opened wife. Brooklyn also lamented, "Hannah Brown entering Paradise is game over, like, I'm just going home."
Jess also noted with concern in her voice how Hannah "is the Taylor Swift of Bachelor Nation," adding, "I cannot compete with Hannah Brown! I am starstruck and I'm freaking out."
Hannah then addressed the whole group and said she'd like to get to know some of the people in Paradise. Hannah therefore asked Blake and Will to join her for a Bachelor in Paradise chat.
The cast wondered what was going on because a lot of the women didn't think Hannah was single.
After Blake and Hannah talked, Blake returned to the cast and let them know that Hannah was on Bachelor in Paradise to date.
Hannah proceeded to chat with Brayden and Aaron S., and she told the cameras that some people thought their connections were stronger than they actual were.
Hannah, however, ultimately announced how she had found love and her "happily ever after" already.
"So I will not be joining you on the beach," Hannah declared. "But I am here to help. I do have this Date Card that I'm going to leave here, and maybe I'll see y'all a little bit later."
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At the "first official Paradise bonfire" that night, Hannah shared how her one regret on The Bachelorette was not getting the full truth sooner. Hannah therefore asked the cast some important questions, and she asked them to be honest with her in their answers.
Amid rapid-fire questioning, Cat revealed she'd like to spark a connection with Peter Cappio, and Brooklyn said she'd like to kiss Peter on the beach.
Sean shared how he felt "pretty confident" in his connection with Rachel, and Rachel called him a pleasant surprise. But Sean admitted that he had his eyes on Jess upon first entering Bachelor in Paradise.
When Blake was asked if he was open to meeting other people, Blake said he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk ruining his connection with Jess for anyone else on the beach at the moment.
"But I would still be open to the potential if someone else came down," Blake shared.
Jess confessed that wasn't fun to hear and had left a bad taste in her mouth.
Kat and Brayden both confirmed there was a potential future for them, and Brayden said he was totally focused on Kat going forward. Kat, on the other hand, told Hannah that she'd be interested in meeting Tyler Norris and Tanner Courtad.
"Hearing that from Kat is definitely not sitting well with me," Brayden told the Bachelor in Paradise cameras. "She might be using me just to get a rose this week."
Aaron B. insisted that he did not have wandering eyes and his heart was with Eliza at the moment. Mercedes vented about how that was "sh-tty" to hear.
Kylee proceeded to reveal that Aven was the best kisser on the Bachelor in Paradise beach, and Aven shared how his date with Kylee was amazing and they could have a love connection down the road.
When asked who his second choice of date was, Aven announced, "It was Olivia."
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"Getting crucified by Olivia, I don't think it's fair," Kylee said in a confessional.
Will's feelings for Kylee, however, hadn't changed, and he hoped they could continue falling for each other.
After the bonfire blowup, Sean gave Rachel the reassurance she needed and they were totally on the same page. And Sean noted how Brayden should start exploring his options because Kat would probably leave him for another guy entering the Bachelor in Paradise beach later on.
Will then pulled Kylee aside to find out where she was at. Kylee told Will that he was everything and more she could ask for in a life partner but she felt an "undeniable" spark with Aven.
Kylee made it clear that she was choosing Aven, and she told Will that she hoped she wouldn't come to regret it.
"I'm sorry, is all I can say. But I'm so thankful for our time together," Kylee told Will.
Will said he was bummed and upset. He was clearly very hurt, but he acted like a gentleman and gave Kylee a goodbye hug.
"It never feels good to be rejected by the person you were falling in love with. I feel like I can't catch a break here in Paradise. Back to Square One!... I have a lot of love to offer," Will told the cameras.
Olivia apparently liked seeing Will brokenhearted as Kylee confirmed to Aven that she only wanted him and looked forward to going on more dates with him.
"Karma, you sweet, sweet lady!" Olivia boasted in a confessional.
The next day, everyone was prepping for the first Rose Ceremony of the season, which would end with three women going home. Neither Cat or Greer wanted to leave this early, and Olivia was also feeling stressed and anxious.
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Will took a deep breath and finally felt wanted, cared for, and chosen. Will said his new blossoming romance with Mercedes felt "real" and "true," and his grandmother's name just so happens to be Mercedes.
Will teared up with Mercedes, who was "smitten" with the Bachelor in Paradise suitor, and he said it felt really good to be with her.
"It should've always been Mercedes. It should've always been her," Will cried to the cameras.
When Will and Mercedes kissed, Kylee applauded them from a distance and was so happy for them.
Greer went after Peter's rose, saying that she wanted to learn more about him. But Brooklyn, Olivia and Cat were also going after it.
Peter informed Cat that he was the most attracted to her, physically, but Cat still didn't feel safe. Peter praised Brooklyn for her honesty, and he told Olivia that she was so much fun.
Peter felt like The Bachelor star in Bachelor in Paradise, and he even pulled Sam away from Aaron S. for a conversation.
Aaron S. said he didn't trust Peter's intentions at all, and he was annoyed by Peter's behavior, which included dancing behind his conversation with Sam.
Peter asked Sam questions about her romance with Aaron S. and whether Aaron was mature enough for her, and Sam apparently didn't think it was appropriate. Sean also didn't like Peter's apparent attempt to break a couple up when multiple other women were pursuing him.
Aaron S. was offended by Peter's actions, and so it resulted in a confrontation between the two men.
Aaron S. accused Peter of cutting his knees out from underneath him, but Peter explained how he just wanted to talk to Sam because he was attracted to her and wanted to compliment her on coming across so mature.
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At the first Bachelor in Paradise Rose Ceremony that night, Brayden gave his rose to Kat, Blake offered his rose to Jess, and Aaron B. handed his rose to Eliza.
"I'm thinking he could be the guy for me," Eliza shyly said in a confessional.
Will gave his rose to Mercedes, Sean handed his rose to Rachel, Aven offered his rose to Kylee, Aaron S. handed his rose to Sam, and then Peter gave his rose to Olivia.
Peter told Olivia that she had gotten the short end of the stick and deserved to have fun in Paradise.
"Wild card! I wasn't expecting that to happen!" Kat exclaimed.
The Bachelor in Paradise Rose Ceremony ended with Greer, Cat and Brooklyn going home.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
