Rachel Lindsay picked Bryan Abasolo at the end of her search for love on The Bachelorette -- and he in turn proposed marriage during Monday night's three-hour Season 13 finale broadcast on ABC.

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Rachel chose Bryan, a 37-year-old chiropractor from Miami, FL, over her runner-up Peter Kraus, a 31-year-old personal trainer and business owner from Madison, WI. Eric Bigger finished in third place and was eliminated after the Bachelorette's Fantasy Suite dates.

During a Tuesday conference call with reporters, Rachel and her new fiance Bryan talked about the show as well as their current relationship now that they've been able to go public with their engagement.

Below is a portion of what the happy couple had to say -- including how Rachel and Bryan react to claims the bachelor was insincere on The Bachelorette. Check back with Reality TV World soon for more.

I know that some viewers questioned Bryan's sincerity this season. Rachel, as that became more of a talking point this season, did you ever start to doubt Bryan? And then Bryan, what is your response to people who say you're not sincere?

Rachel Lindsay: I learned a long time ago that nobody knows your relationship like you do. And, you know, people give me credit about being a smart girl and I really was smart about navigating through these relationships. And Bryan is extremely sincere; he's definitely the most sincere guy in the house. 

And I think because he was so direct and straightforward with it, it was like something you hadn't seen before and I questioned Bryan. And Bryan, you hear me say, he was the most steady and constant man in the house, and that still rings true today.

I could understand how maybe someone said it on the first night, but watching Bryan throughout the season, it baffles my mind how you could still say that he's not sincere. I mean, this is the most sincere and genuine man that I know.

Bryan Abasolo: Yes, I mean, I think it goes back to, you know, what I was telling Rachel on the first night. I mean, again, I'm 37-years-old; I'm not into playing games and I know what I want. You know, and I told her exactly why I was there.

To some people, maybe being so forthright from the beginning, you know, it may come off as a little insincere. But I truly came on this show to see if Rachel was the one for me, and I was going to basically empty out my heart to this woman and let her know exactly how I felt, where I stood with her at each encounter.

And that was basically my M.O. throughout the entire season. You know, I was focused on her. I wasn't worrying about, you know, drama with other guys or talking behind people's backs.

I was truly focused on her because, like, at the end of the day, yes, I made a lot of friends on the show, but my No. 1 goal was to see if, you know, Rachel was the one for me. And I think people are just taken aback. They like the more quote-unquote "realistic" approach, getting to know the person.

But I already know what I want; I know what I'm looking for. I've had other serious relationships in my past, and you know, I took all those experiences that have molded me into the person I am today. So, you know, I can't help what others think about me, about being insincere and whatnot when this is exactly who I really am.

Has it been hard for you, Bryan, to watch the show back and see how things went with the other men?

Bryan Abasolo: Yes, you know, it's never easy to watch your fiancee date 30 other guys and then watch it back. But one of the -- a couple of the staples of our relationship is obviously the love, the deep love that we have for each other, but also the communication. And I think we're just both very mentally strong. 

So, I knew going in that she was going to have relationships with other guys; she was going to develop deep feelings for other guys, even feelings of love. But at the end of the day, I knew she would only be in love with one man and, you know, that happened to be me at the end.

So, it was tough. But at the same time, again, going back to that communication, we talked after every single episode. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to see how she interacted with all the guys. And if I had any issues with anything, I would straight up bring it up to her.

And she's so genuine and honest that she would actually respond accordingly. And pretty much after a couple of hours, let's say I got annoyed over something, it would be over and we'd be moving on to the next episode.

So, it's a very mature relationship and I think she'll agree with that, that maybe other relationships in the past that maybe don't have as much experience, may not be able to handle. But I think we're well-equipped to handle everything that comes our way.

So, I know, Rachel, you said on-camera that it has been kind of hard transitioning. Is there anything you told yourself to kind of just shake it off?

Rachel Lindsay: Yes, I told myself how much I was in love with Bryan and how he was the man for me and I wasn't going to let anything else take me away from this man. Like, he was absolutely the man for me. I wasn't going to run away from him anymore, I wasn't going to let anyone get in my head. I truly focused on my love for Bryan

What didn't we see on TV about how you got to your ultimate decision to pick Bryan, Rachel? And what do you wish made it to air on your last dates with Peter and Bryan?

Rachel Lindsay: Well, you see a lot. I mean, it's a week of filming that goes into two hours. So, you know, when it comes to Bryan, I really wish you could've seen -- you obviously see us, that we're very passionate with each other -- but you don't see the depth that our relationship had.

And like Bryan had said, it's a very mature relationship. There was no drama, it was very effortless, and it was really a beautiful thing to watch unfold. I mean, it's crazy the chemistry that we have between each other and how compatible we are. And I really wish you could've seen more of that.

I wish you could've seen the essence of Bryan and how our relationship came to be. I think you saw a little bit, but not the full thing.  So, you have to stay tuned and continue to watch us, because it's really a beautiful thing.

As far as what you don't see, or you didn't see the last week on my dates with Peter and Bryan, I mean, I feel like you pretty much got the gist of it and you saw it. I think it was pretty straightforward. I mean, not every conversation's in there, but it was pretty straightforward.

Bryan, do you have anything to add about what you wish made it to air?

Bryan Abasolo: No, I agree with Rachel as far as just showing a little bit more in depth. It wasn't all, you know, making out and little romantic Latin music in the background playing. I guess that the thing was there was just no drama. There was no, you know, anything like that -- no arguments or anything like that. 

So, you know, that's not really interesting TV.  So, I think there's a lot of drama on the show besides me, so I think they just decided to air that and leave out those in-depth conversations that we always had. So, yes, I just wish they showed a little bit more of our interaction and maybe, you know, people on the outside could see a little bit more as to how we got to this point.

To read what Rachel had to tell Reality TV World about her breakup with Peter, click here. And to read what the pair had to say about their future wedding and starting a family, click here.

To begin reading what Peter told Reality TV World during his post-The Bachelorette interview, click here.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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