The Bachelor's Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher was a difficult flower to open up this season, according to show star Ben Higgins, so was it too little too late?
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During Monday night's episode, Fletcher and Higgins enjoyed a one-on-one date in Chicago, where they played baseball and had Wrigley Field all to themselves -- a dream come true for the Bachelor considering he's such a huge Cubs fan.
"Unlike with [Lauren Bushnell] earlier where I knew everything was fine by the end of the daytime date, I still needed to have a serious discussion with JoJo. As much as I felt I could be myself with her, I knew there was still something holding her back from truly letting go. I'd been feeling that for a while now," Higgins wrote in his People blog.
Higgins felt he could be himself around Fletcher more than any other bachelorette, but he realized she had some major trust issues and wavered when it came to putting up and down her emotional walls.
"At this point, I was actually starting to get a little frustrated because I didn't know what else I could possibly do to make her feel safe enough to do that with me," Higgins said, explaining how he wanted Fletcher to open up and be vulnerable with him so badly.
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"That scared me, that by the end of this, if I fell in love with her and wanted to get down on one knee, she might still not be ready. For a guy with an insecurity about being unlovable, that's a pretty big deal."
However, Fletcher attempted to assure Higgins she really cared about him and was ready to give her heart to him. Fletcher asked the Bachelor not to doubt her feelings for him.
"Hearing her tell me not to worry and that she was still on my side and still trying to let those walls come down really did help me. I won't say it removed every bit of the insecurities that I had, but I know what I kind and honest heart JoJo has and I trusted her," Higgins explained.
"All I could do was believe what she was saying is true and hope that maybe very soon her feelings would catch up with mine."
Overall, Higgins was thrilled to share such a special date with Fletcher.
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"She is such a fun girl and, despite not knowing much about baseball, still enjoyed every moment and was appreciative of everything we got to do. You didn't see all of it but we actually went up and sang 'Take Me out to the Ballgame,' too, and going into the scoreboard is something they don't allow anyone to do. I am truly a blessed man," Higgins wrote.
The Bachelor airs every Monday night from 8-10PM ET/PT on ABC.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski