The Bachelorette star Jillian Harris eliminated Reid Rosenthal and narrowed her love search to her final two suitors during last night's fifth-season broadcast of the ABC reality dating show.
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"I hope you made the right move," Reid, a 30-year-old realtor from Philadelphia, PA, told Jillian as she escorted him to a waiting limo after presenting her two penultimate Rose Ceremony roses to bachelors Ed Swiderski and Kiptyn Locke. "I don't know if you're completely sure but..."
"I mean I don't know how sure I'm supposed to be, I don't know," Jillian replied. "Like, you define everything to me that I was looking for, just in terms of having my best friend and having somebody I could laugh with. You're goofy and fun and funny. And I wanted that, and a connection, and that was also there."
"I guess I just worry that we're at different places in our lives and I'm willing to make sacrifices and you weren't," the 29-year-old interior designer from Vancouver, BC continued as they stopped to sit on a nearby bench and tears formed in her eyes. "And I don't know if you were, that's the thing, I don't know if I was willing to take that chance -- I'm scared. I just know it's scary the questions I was asking you."
"No, I know and I should have opened up sooner. I didn't give you all the signs you needed to have because... I don't know," Reid said. "It's a shame because I should have. And I don't know if that would change anything. I don't know... I don't know what to say."
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Once in his limo, Reid continued to second guess his last few conversations with the fifth-season The Bachelorette star.
"I wish I could have opened up to her the way, you know, I should have. It's definitely a tough moment. A surprising moment. I don't know, maybe I screwed myself," he said. "I definitely could have seen myself with her and I can definitely say that I was falling in love with her. I don't think she even knows that."
"I saw her with my family, she was perfect. Her and I got along and really thing that the whole thing was my fault. It's tough.... really tough," he continued. "When we were saying goodbye on that bench and [she was] looking at me, and we were staring at each other -- it's surreal to know we have that connection but not be there. And then seeing her with the other two guys was tough, you know."
"I don't see her being happy with either one of those guys, I just don't. It would have been a lot easier if I'd told her I loved her. I think I f--ked up and if I could reverse things I would."
Reid's elimination came after Jillian had gotten to spend a week enjoying day-long individual dates -- as well as overnight fantasy suite time -- with each of her final three suitors in Maui, Hawaii.
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Since he had been absent during Jillian's visits to her final five suitors hometowns due to his decision to quit and then return to the show, Ed's one-on-one date had also included a visit with his parents, who flew out from Chicago, IL to meet Jillian.
The Bachelorette's two-hour fifth-season finale broadcast will air Monday, July 27 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC. The following night, the network will air the season's The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose special on Tuesday, July 28 at 10PM ET/PT.
Next week, ABC will air the season's The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All reunion special which will feature many of the season's eliminated bachelors -- but not controversial suitor Wes Hayden -- as well as interviews with Jillian and thirteenth-season The Bachelor couple Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney.
About The Author: Steven Rogers