Carly Waddell has opened up about her "roller coaster" of a relationship with Evan Bass on Bachelor in Paradise and when he drew her in romantically once and for all.
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For the majority of their time together in Paradise, Bass fought to win Waddell's heart while she hesitated, resisted and surrendered. There were times the country singer was disgusted by Bass and times she found herself falling hard for him, so when did she officially determine she liked him?
"The hospital date, where he got sick and went to the hospital. He had two infections, actually," Waddell told Glamour, confirming Bass did not fake any illness just to get her attention, as editing suggested.
"There were no cameras, and it felt like I was dating in normal life. We started getting this connection, and I remember sitting in the car on the way back and thinking, 'I really want to hold his hand. What?' And then, 'Oh my gosh, I think I really like him. What?!'"
Waddell described the relationship as a "roller coaster" because she basically broke up with the poor guy "like five times." But once they hit it off, Waddell grew to be "so excited" about potentially meeting Bass' three children -- boys ages 14, 11 and 8.
"I can't wait [to meet them]. I know he's dated people in the past that have said, 'Oh, you're a dad? I'm not into that.' I'm so into that. I'm 30. I want kids; he wants more kids. We've already discussed that," Waddell revealed at the time.
"We're just going to be maybe one big happy family, and I'm so excited. I can't even contain my excitement for that."
Although both Bass and Waddell lived in Nashville, TN, prior to filming Bachelor in Paradise, she didn't remember much about him from JoJo Fletcher's season of The Bachelorette.
"I saw two episodes, but I was drinking wine and eating popcorn with my girlfriends, half paying attention," Waddell confessed. "I knew he was from Nashville, and that's a huge thing for me. We live seven minutes away from each other. It's out of control."
Because Waddell didn't get to know Bass from watching him on TV, she wasn't anticipating his arrival in Paradise. However, she really didn't go on the show with any expectations or hope of meeting someone in particular.
"I didn't want to do that because I remember last year, my best friend said, 'You need to meet [Kirk DeWindt].' I didn't know anything about him, but when I walked in [and saw him], I was like, 'Okay!' and zeroed in," Waddell admitted of the man who crushed her heart on Season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise last summer when she had every intention of getting engaged to him.
"This time I just wanted to walk in and not know anyone. I didn't really tell anyone I was coming. Bachelor people talk and know who's coming, and I didn't want to do that. I just wanted to go in with an open mind and get to know people that I ordinarily get to know and just see what happened."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOWWaddell also explained to the magazine how her relationship with Bass on the show differed from what she had with DeWindt in Mexico.
"Evan and I are completely on the same page feelings-wise, and Kirk and I never were. I think that's why this is actually going to work. Evan was going for me since Day 1, and it took me a long time to catch up. I think when I finally did, magic happened," Waddell disclosed.
"I don't know, last year I feel like it just wasn't right. I think what's so cool -- I have to keep thanking Kirk because if he hadn't [dumped me], I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have met Evan, and I wouldn't be in love. It's crazy. I had no idea this would happen to me at all. At all."
Bachelor in Paradise's third-season finale airs Tuesday night at 8PM ET/PT on ABC followed by After Paradise hosted by Michelle Collins and co-hosted by former The Bachelor star Sean Lowe.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
