Juan Pablo Galavis and Nikki Ferrell were forced to discuss the topic of love during the most recent episode of VH1's Couples Therapy with Dr. Jenn, and it ended with a dramatic, emotional outburst from Ferrell.
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The former eighteenth-season The Bachelor star selected Ferrell at the end of his journey on the show but didn't propose or even say, "I love you" to the pediatric nurse -- despite her repeated expression of love -- in the finale episode, which aired in March and taped in Fall 2013.
About a year later, the pair is attempting to clean up their reputation in the media and fix the issues they have, one of which became the focus of Wednesday night's Couples Therapy broadcast. Ferrell did not feel secure in their relationship amidst talk of moving in together, and expert Janine Driver, known as "a human lie detector" was welcomed into the discussion.
"I feel like, why give someone 100 percent if they're not giving you 100 percent?" Ferrell, 27, lamented to show therapist Dr. Jenn Berman.
"I still feel like he's holding back... To be 100 percent, I just need to see if this is right for me. Because if I'm always going to have this feeling that I'm waiting for him to choose me, the relationship is not for me. To be completely honest, I feel like he could up and leave from this relationship at any time and be completely fine with it."
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When asked whether that's true, Galavis, 33, quickly replied, "No."
"I don't believe him," Ferrell admitted, further arguing that Galavis had previously said he'd only be "kind of sad" if they split.
"Like, really?! After all we've been through together?" she said.
Galavis retorted, "She wants to hear, 'I love you.' It's a word issue."
"It's not a word; It's a feeling," Ferrell countered. "It's not a word."
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Driver then asked Galavis flat out, "Do you love Nikki?"
"I feel like I cannot be without her... She wants to hear 'I love you.' To me, it kind of sucks that just three words will make her feel 100 percent confident," Galavis explained, clearly dodging the apparent "yes or no" question.
"It's not the three words; It's you meaning those three words," Ferrell snapped.
"Wait a second. If I say [them], it's because I mean it -- in my language," said the former pro soccer player from Venezuela.
"I didn't say, 'Did you say the words?' My question was, 'Do you love her?' So whatever language it is, do you love Nikki?" Driver demanded.
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"I can say, 'Yeah, I'm falling for her big time,'" Galavis replied. "But do I love her? As to tell her, 'I love you?' Nah."
The harsh reality set in for Ferrell, who immediately broke down into tears and seemed defeated and heartbroken.
"When am I going to be good enough?" Ferrell begged.
"You're good enough, babe! It's a different culture," Galavis noted.
"It's like I'm asking for something that he can't give me. So what do I do?" Ferrell asked Berman, who told her in reply she'll become a stronger person and learn from this relationship whether or not it works out in the end.
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"Babe, you know I wish every day that I could make it better. You know that," Galavis told his girlfriend. "It is so hard. It is just so hard."
"I can't get through to him, and if a professional can't crack Juan Pablo, then maybe this just isn't for me. It shouldn't be this hard," Ferrell said in a confessional, later telling Galavis his excuses are "a cop-out."
Galavis and Ferrell have been trying to make a long-distance relationship work, as Galavis lives in Miami, FL, and Ferrell currently resides in Kansas City.
Couples Therapy with Dr. Jenn airs Wednesday nights at 9PM ET/PT on VH1.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski