Bevin Powers had so much chemistry with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Andy Baldwin that she had to like her odds heading into The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman's final Rose Ceremony.

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"I thought it was going to be me all the way up until I got into that [limousine heading to Officer and a Gentleman's final Rose Ceremony].  And it was getting into that limo that I knew something was wrong," Powers told The Bachelor host Chris Harrison during Tuesday night's broadcast of The Bachelor: After the Final Rose on ABC.  "I believe I said in the limo, 'I can't believe this is happening.'  This is on the way there, I was referring to the fact that I can't believe I'm going to get rejected right now.  I had this feeling that it wasn't going to be me."

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Palo Alto, CA clinic research coordinator, her sense of something being wrong was correct and Baldwin awarded his final rose -- as well as a marriage proposal -- to Tessa Horst, a 26-year-old San Francisco social worker.

"It was just kind of like the walls closed in [when I was rejected]," said Powers.  "Everything was going so perfectly and we were having such a wonderful time together and there was such a connection and I truly could see a future with him.  And I really believed we could have been really happy together."

Powers' Officer and a Gentleman journey began when she met Baldwin and showed-off some scars she got from mountain biking in an effort to appeal to his rugged side as an accomplished triathlete.  However Powers said it wasn't until her first group date with Baldwin when she began to feel a true connection with the bachelor.

"I knew that there was something there when we were in the pool together on the very first group date," she said.  "And then from there, every time I talked to him, we had such... there was just a sparkle in his eye and there was this chemistry that was undeniable... I can't deny there was just something when we got together... we just couldn't stop touching or kissing.  It was amazing.  I don't feel that with a lot of guys, and so it was really special, and I knew we had that aspect of the relationship."

Andy Baldwin breaks the news that he's decided to propose to Tessa Horst to Bevin Powers during The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman's finale (Photo credit ABC/Craig Sjodin)

The physical spark the two shared was enough to carry Powers all the way to Officer and a Gentleman's finale, despite the difficult time she had explaining to him that she was briefly married as a teenager before getting divorced.  Spark or no spark, Powers eventually became the 24th bachelorette Baldwin rejected.

"I definitely had a lot of feelings for Andy and it still hurts sometimes, but he was there to find the love of his life, and he's a smart guy and I know in the end he chose who he thought he could build a life with.  I definitely fell in love with Andy," she said.

During ABC's broadcast of After the Final Rose, Powers had her first opportunity to speak to Baldwin since she failed to receive a rose.

"This is tough," said Baldwin as he took a seat on the couch next to Powers and attempted to break the ice.  "How's your ankle?" he asked, a reference to when she suffered a displaced fracture of her left ankle during Officer and a Gentleman's bachelorette boot camp.  "I must say that is a very cute pink cast and my diagnosis was correct."  Powers then fought back tears and addressed Baldwin.

"I never got a chance to tell you just thank you for a wonderful experience.  I had so much fun with you, and I'll never forget the time that we spent together," she said to him.  "And if you weren't the bachelor and I didn't see you on TV, I never would have applied and had such a wonderful time.  I definitely don't feel any regret because I put myself out there and you really taught me how to take a risk... So all of the hurt was worth it in the end."

Despite having the opportunity to ask Baldwin any questions on her mind, Powers decided to not dwell on the past.

"Sometimes I think that things are better left unsaid because I know that Andy was there for a purpose and could choose the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with... And I respect his decision," she said.  "It was a gift that he gave me because now I can go out and find the guy that's right for me."

Baldwin assured Powers she should have no problem doing just that.

"I just have to say there's a reason why she made it to the final two," said Baldwin.  "She's a fantastic woman in so many ways.. I know that whatever man ends up with her is a very, very lucky man."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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