The Bachelorette star Rachel Recchia says she now understands what Aven Jones was trying to tell her about an engagement during their breakup conversation -- and she agrees with him.

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On Part 1 of The Bachelorette Season 19 finale that aired last week, Rachel dumped Aven in second place because he said he didn't feel ready to propose marriage at the Final Rose Ceremony.

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Given Rachel had thought she and Aven were on the same page -- and she felt blindsided and betrayed by his apparent change of heart -- Aven clarified how his feelings for Rachel hadn't changed and he's ready for an engagement at this point in his life.

Aven explained how he just wants to pop the question when the timing is right, to make for an organic and perfect moment for them both, but Rachel only seemed to hear, "I won't commit," and so she sent Aven packing despite her strong feelings for him.

"If, at the end of the day, [my winner Tino Franco] got down on one knee and was like, 'I can't give you this ring, but I want to commit to you for the rest of my life [and] I want to be with you,' that's all I was looking for," Rachel said on the latest episode of Becca Kufrin and Michelle Young's "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.

Rachel therefore said that after watching herself back on television and seeing her breakup with Aven, she realized, "That is what he was telling me."

Rachel apparently determined, in hindsight, that Aven had been promising her a commitment and a future with her -- even though he wasn't quite ready to propose marriage within a number of short days on The Bachelorette.

"At the time, there was so much confusion and there was so much happening," Rachel explained.

"I watched my own walls go up, and I could see me thinking he was pulling away. I think there's so many things that went into that."

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Fellow The Bachelorette star Gabby Windey, who joined Rachel on the podcast, chimed in and noted how it seemed like Aven was ready to get engaged to Rachel but he just wanted to make sure the timing was right.

"I understand that now," Rachel confessed. "Looking back, I think there's so many things you can watch back and understand, in a way."

Rachel and Gabby agreed, however, that the situation was definitely confusing for Rachel at the time the show was filming.

"If the timing isn't right, then maybe that means you're not ready?" Gabby suggested, in Rachel's defense. "And maybe he didn't know the words to explain himself. But I think you have a right to be confused."

Aven told Rachel after meeting her family that he was never going to get over their split, and he apologized on Part 1 of The Bachelorette finale for hurting her and leading her on with all of their Fantasy-Suite engagement talk.

Rachel told Aven that she respected his honesty and he had every right to feel the way he did while filming. Rachel even pardoned Aven from having to apologize to her.

"You were perfect... but you can't really look back," Rachel said. "I'm really happy to see you, and I really just wish you nothing but the best."

Rachel ultimately got engaged to Tino at her Final Rose Ceremony on The Bachelorette's nineteenth season, but she claimed the pair broke up around the time of The Men Tell All.

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Tino had cheated on Rachel with another woman, and Rachel felt that Tino was trying to put blame on her for his own mistakes.

Tino, for example, said on The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose, which aired Tuesday night, that he and Rachel were in a bad place when he cheated. Tino accused Rachel of having problems to work through and threatening to give back her engagement ring at one point, which supposedly led him to believe they were done.

Tino apologized for breaking Rachel's heart, but it wasn't enough to convince the flight instructor to give him another chance.

And then suddenly, The Bachelorette host Jesse Palmer announced that someone was waiting backstage, "demanding" to speak to Rachel.

Aven surprised Rachel onstage and asked her out for a drink so they could "catch up" -- and Rachel said she'd absolutely love to.

Rachel opened up if she's willing to give Aven another shot during a Wednesday appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan.

For Gabby's part, her The Bachelorette journey ended with an engagement to Erich Schwer. After overcoming some adversity, the couple is still together and happy as Gabby continues her stint on Dancing with the Stars.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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