The Bachelor star Juan Pablo Galavis picked Nikki Ferrell as his final bachelorette -- but didn't propose marriage or reveal his love to her -- during Monday night's finale broadcast of the eighteenth season of the ABC reality dating show.

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Nikki, a 26-year-old pediatric nurse from Kansas City, MO, received Juan Pablo's final rose and the phrase, "I like you a lot," from The Bachelor star.

"Honestly, I have a ring here in my pocket, but I'm not going to use it. I'm not 100 percent sure," Juan Pablo admitted to Nikki, who nodded her head in reply but seemed upset by the news.

"But at the same time, I am 100 percent sure that I don't want to let you go. I like you a lot -- a lot. So, Nikki, would you accept my final rose?" Juan Pablo asked her.

Nikki, again, nodded her head. After hesitating for a moment, she replied, "Absolutely," and kissed him. Juan Pablo thanked her for accepting his last rose and then jokingly told her not to get cranky since it was so hot outside.

Clare Crawley, a 32-year-old hairstylist from Sacramento, CA, finished as the heartbroken yet angry runner-up.

The Bachelor's eighteenth-season finale began with the remaining two bachelorettes, Nikki and Clare, meeting Juan Pablo's family in Saint Lucia.

Juan Pablo met up with his mother and father, brother, sister, cousin, niece and his four-year-old daughter Camila. Clare met his family first, and Juan Pablo told the cameras he liked her a lot, their connection was "on fire" and she had many qualities he liked.

Juan Pablo just wondered how she'd interact with his family and whether she'd fit in with them. Clare was nervous but hoped Juan Pablo would see an amazing connection between herself and his family. She thought Juan Pablo was so hot with his daughter and it was obvious they loved each other very much.

Clare thought Juan Pablo's family was wonderful, kind and welcoming. Clare told Juan Pablo's relatives she sincerely looked forward to having many children. Clare then asked his mother Nelly whether Juan Pablo has any personality traits he probably wouldn't share with or admit to her, and the mother said he's "hyperactive" and "sometimes very rude."

Somehow, Clare said her feelings for Juan Pablo were reconfirmed after that conversation.

Clare then assured Juan Pablo's cousin Rodolfo she wouldn't run if she encountered any problems with the Bachelor. She said if Juan Pablo proposed to her, it'd be the best day of her life. Rodolfo basically told his cousin that Clare was "begging" to marry and have kids with him.

Rodolfo told him to go "all in" if he felt he had found a wife, and Juan Pablo's brother Rodrigo thought Clare was super sincere and down to earth, a perfect fit for him. Clare could envision being a part of that family forever, and she said Juan Pablo had stolen her heart.

Later on, Nikki met Juan Pablo's family and she truly wanted to make a good impression on them. Nikki said it was a fun, whirlwind of an experience and she learned a lot about herself throughout the journey. She felt blessed to have "met someone really special."

Nikki told Juan Pablo's father Saul that the Bachelor wouldn't be who he is today if he hadn't been a father and she loved who he is because of that. Juan Pablo's dad said he's "not an easy guy," suggesting he's a little self-centered and very focused on particular things he wants in life.

Nikki said she knew Juan Pablo was stubborn but she was ready to be with all of him as a person. Juan Pablo's mom also told Nikki her son was a very simple guy who watched TV a lot with his family and daughter. As much as Juan Pablo apparently loves relaxing and watching sports, Nikki said she loved Juan Pablo and was sure he's the guy she had been looking for.

Rodolfo explained to Nikki that while he believed Juan Pablo was a great guy, he knew that the Bachelor ran at any sign of trouble. Juan Pablo apparently walks away and leaves when things get rough in a relationship.

After meeting both girls, Rodrigo thought both girls would be "a good choice" for Juan Pablo, who could see a future with both women.

"Can I keep both?" Juan Pablo asked in a confessional.

The next day, Juan Pablo embarked on his final one-on-one date with Clare. He knew there was potential with both women and didn't know what to do. He had a big decision to make. The pair got a beautiful view of Saint Lucia via a helicopter ride. Clare was falling more in love with each passing moment, and Juan Pablo said she was "sexy, hot and cute."

The couple then landed at Commerette Point and things suddenly took a drastic turn for the worst.

"So as the helicopter's landing, Juan Pablo and I have a rare moment together with no cameras, nobody there with us -- except the pilot -- and Juan Pablo leaned over and whispered something to me. But what I thought was going to be sweet, kind, loving words was not what came out of his mouth. I'm just shocked. It's just something that he said in that moment to me, I almost don't have words for it -- how I feel right now," Clare told the cameras.

"He chose to tell me something that no woman wants to hear, that he really doesn't know me and some sexual thing. I don't even want to repeat it. It was insulting, it was offensive, and it just made me feel awful. Every single woman deserves to be treated with respect. I'm not just an object. Maybe I have him all wrong. Maybe he's not the man that I thought he was."

Clare continued, "I'm so confused right now and I really don't know what to do next. I thought that this was going to be one of the most romantic moments of my life, but it wasn't. Knowing that this was or could be our last date ever, if he can't tell me that he knows me and this relationship goes further than a physical connection, I'm out of here."

That night, at The Landing hotel, Clare thought about what happened that day when no cameras were on the couple and they didn't have microphones recording their every word.

"He leaned over and then he said, 'I feel like we don't know each other. You don't know me. I don't know you.' He chooses not to say something romantic but that he loved hooking up with me. What he said and the words he used, I cant even repeat it," Clare said in a confessional.

Clare admitted she felt like she was going down the road of her past relationships again in which the men didn't see more than the physical and didn't really care to have more going on between them than the physical relationship. Clare said she went on the show for love, "not just a hookup."

Clare then invited Juan Pablo to her hotel room to talk and denied him a kiss when he walked in. Juan Pablo seemed like he had no idea what was going on. The Bachelor asked Clare to remind him what he had said wrong in the helicopter, and when Clare mentioned he had brought up things about what happened when they were alone, the Bachelor jumped on the conversation and noted, "What happens in private stays in private."

Clare explained to him how he had said they had good chemistry but didn't know each other well enough. Juan Pablo insisted she misunderstood what he said. Clare noted that what she wants in a relationship is way beyond just the physical.

"I don't need the physical anymore," Juan Pablo interjected.

Juan Pablo told Clare to her face that there were parts of her that he liked and parts he didn't like and she probably felt the same way about him -- that maybe there were "many parts" she wouldn't know and like about him. Clare was taken aback by that, but Juan Pablo said he was just trying to be honest with her. Juan Pablo said it was hard to figure out how he felt given his situation.

Clare told the cameras she could deal with honesty but it just felt like the end. She explained that if Juan Pablo wasn't sure about his feelings for her, she'd be out, because she thought she had a lot to offer a man.

Clare was just confused because she thought they were on the same page prior to the helicopter incident. She was uncertain whether Juan Pablo even wanted to learn more about her and get to know her. She was getting prepared to book a ticket home from Saint Lucia depending on his answers.

Juan Pablo argued that her "no kissing rule" earlier in the season in South Korea was the best thing he ever heard, however, he jokingly said she went back on her word and that wasn't his fault. Juan Pablo tried to convince her that he could see himself with her and it was more than just a physical attraction.

"Do you think you know me well enough to make a decision?" Clare asked him.

"That's a good question because a proposal for me and my daughter is huge, and I've been thinking for a week already. 'Am I ready?' is my question. 'Do I know the person as much as I know I would love to know somebody?'" Juan Pablo explained.

Clare told him that's what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear more than, "I like kissing you, I like kissing you." Juan Pablo said he wanted her there and she was "special" to him. He could see them having a baby or two within a couple months if they ended up together, and he assured her that he "honestly" felt great with her. Clare was convinced at that point they had "a lot more" going on than she feared.

Juan Pablo talked to Clare about what things may be like four months down the road and how they'd deal with being apart while the show aired. Clare seemed to take that as a sure sign he'd pick her in the end.

"We had our ups and downs but I know that she could be the one. I just know it and I feel really good about that. I like that girl a lot," Juan Pablo said in a confessional.

"I don't want a rose, I want forever," Clare said.

The next day, Juan Pablo embarked on his one-on-one date with Nikki. He knew that Nikki was in love with him, but he needed to figure out his own feelings. Nikki loved him so much but admitted the one thing missing from her fairytale was hearing how Juan Pablo felt about her in return, as she believed he was a "cautious" man who was afraid to get hurt.

Nikki then confronted Juan Pablo about how she believed he might be "a little guarded" and maybe "scared to open up." The Bachelor star immediately rejected that notion.

"When I feel it, I will open up. So, I'm not, I'm not guarded," Juan Pablo told her.

Nikki was a little worried about whether Juan Pablo loved her, yet he made her feel very comfortable. She didn't see him having their type of connection with anyone else. Nikki said she'd be "heartbroken" if that day was her last day ever with Juan Pablo, but she was trying not to stress it.

When she asked what life would be like after all their fancy The Bachelor dates were over, Juan Pablo said there would be a lot of TV watching -- such as sports -- and he'd do that alone often times. Nikki didn't seem overly alarmed by that statement.

That night, the couple talked some more and she needed to hear him say, "I love you." The pair acknowledged how their journey was almost over and Nikki told him the idea of that was a little scary because she was "head over heels in love with him."

"I don't think I've ever been with someone whom I felt so right with. I'm in love with this guy and I want forever with him," Nikki said in a confessional.

Nikki then gave Juan Pablo a heartfelt, emotional card that he read aloud, once again expressing her love and admiration for him. In response, Juan Pablo kissed her multiple times yet said nothing, and she seemed very sad and unsatisfied. When he left, she broke down into tears on the couch.

When it became time for the season's final Rose Ceremony, both women felt confident they'd end up as Juan Pablo's fiancee. They were looking forward to starting a life with him and ending their fairytales on a high note. Clare was picturing a ring on her left hand, while Nikki noted, "I know it's me. He can't have what he has with me with anyone else."

Clare was the first woman to meet Chris Harrison on a private beach, and The Bachelor host walked her towards Juan Pablo. She said it was a very nerve-wracking moment and she had poured her heart and soul into the process.

Clare trusted Juan Pablo and knew everything was going to be okay, because he had always promised her that. Clare acknowledged her deceased father would be very proud of her for opening up, and she didn't think Juan Pablo had any doubts about their relationship when examining their last conversation.

Juan Pablo had little to say at first, so Clare expressed how -- despite all her previous questions and concerns -- she believed in Juan Pablo and knew they had something special.

After telling Clare they had some ups and downs, fixed their issues, and she was still there because he wanted her there, Juan Pablo broke the bad news.

"You are unbelievable, such an amazing woman. Um, I wish the earth sucked me today because this is the hardest decision ever. I appreciate you being here and trusting me all along, and I've been very honest since the beginning to everybody that, at some point, some people are going to go home. I have to follow what I think is best for me, and I have to say goodbye to you," Juan Pablo told Clare.

Juan Pablo tried to wrap his arms around Clare and embrace her, but she coldly rejected the gesture.

"This entire time, I stuck around because I believed in you. The other night on our last date, when we spent our last hour together, I needed that reassurance, and I gave you that opportunity right then because I've been scared to death. And for you to sit there and tell me that you could see yourself in Sacramento, that you can see yourself if we got together and had our babies -- I wanted to do it because I believed in us. I saved this moment for the man of my dreams and I thought that was you. And I thought I knew what kind of man you are," Clare calmly said with tears in her eyes.

Juan Pablo tried to interrupt her, but Clare snapped, "I'm not done."

"And [Sharleen Joynt] didn't have the feelings for you. It wasn't there. [Andi Dorfman] did the same thing. You had every opportunity, like those other girls did, to tell me exactly how you felt," she explained.

"Do you know how I feel? Do you know when I made my decision?" Juan Pablo asked the bachelorette.

"It doesn't matter to me," Clare said as she walked away. "I lost respect for you, because I'll tell you what, I thought I knew what kind of man you are. What you just made me go through, I would never want my children having a father like you," Clare said.

Juan Pablo just kept repeating "okay" throughout her speech as if he didn't really care about anything she was saying.

"Oof, I'm glad I didn't pick her," Juan Pablo said after she left. "Oof."

In her final words, Clare repeated some of the statements she had already made to Juan Pablo. She truly had faith in him and so it was very disappointing. She never ran even when she wanted to and felt weak.

"It's easy to just kiss and show your feelings. But don't tell me you 'love f-cking me.' Don't tell me that," Clare told the cameras.

"That, to me, is not a man... Don't tell me how much your family loved me. Just don't say anything. Don't say anything. I know it's about following your heart. I know it's about standing up for what you want... But right now, it just hurts my heart. Where is the man that makes me feel like I'm worth it, the man who would fight for me? Where is that man who would fight for me?"

Juan Pablo, according to Chris Harrison, had picked out a "beautiful engagement ring" for Nikki.

Afterward, Chris walked Nikki to Juan Pablo once she arrived at the quiet beach. She wondered whether the day might not go as she had planned, but she knew there was a great chance she'd end up engaged and she really wanted that.

Nikki couldn't imagine what Juan Pablo was going through and couldn't wait to hear everything she had been waiting for him to say. Nikki wanted to hear that he loved her and she was anticipating it would be the best day of her life.

Once they were face to face, Nikki thanked Juan Pablo for everything and said their experience had been amazing and he was an amazing person. She said she wanted to be a part of his family and his life. Nikki noted she never felt that way before about anyone and she didn't expect to feel that way, but she was glad she did. It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

"I can't imagine spending my life without you. I don't want it to stop and I don't think it will. I love you," Nikki told Juan Pablo.

Juan Pablo had tears in his eyes and took a deep breath. He told Nikki that he loved so many things about her -- how she cared about other people, her honesty, her ability to be a good stepmom to Camila, and how every time with her was a perfect time.

However, Juan Pablo reiterated how her father had demanded he only propose if he was completely 100 percent sure of Nikki and the decision he was making. It then became very apparent that Juan Pablo was not certain he wanted to be engaged to his final bachelorette. That's when he gave Nikki his final rose. 

During The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special, Clare admitted to Chris Harrison she had been wearing "rose-colored glasses" and she "should've left" because her "gut was right on."

Clare explained her heart was open and her guard was down, which is why she didn't leave him. She thought he was serious about marriage but got the closure she needed by unloading on Juan Pablo the day of the finale. Clare didn't care to see him again in person because she didn't want to be fed anymore "B-S."

Juan Pablo then sat in the hotseat and told Chris he did what he felt was right for him and things worked out the way they were supposed to. He said he didn't know what he was going to do that day of the finale yet he had no regrets about Clare. Juan Pablo also said he was "being himself" in the helicopter with Clare when she complained he had made "offensive" comments.

Nikki then got onstage and said she's still in love with Juan Pablo and things are going great between them. Juan Pablo apparently has yet to say, "I love you," back, but Nikki explained his actions speak louder than words. She admitted it's been a struggle that Juan Pablo opts out of saying, "I love you," but at the same time, she was sure he was invested in their relationship and dedicated to making it work.

Juan Pablo explained he was looking forward to no longer having to hide their relationship, as things were hush-hush over the last four months since filming concluded. He noted they're now happy and free and he feels "fantastic" about Nikki. After Chris kept probing Juan Pablo to open up about Nikki more, the host just came out with the question everyone was wondering.

"So you love her?" Chris asked Juan Pablo very bluntly.

"I'm not going to answer that question to you. I don't get it. I don't get it," Juan Pablo replied.

"People don't understand that this is real life. When you're with somebody, you don't say you love her or not if you're there or not... Whenever you feel you love someone, you [say it]... We are done with the show. We are so done and very happy that we had the opportunity to be part of it and that we met each other through it. I appreciate the opportunity... It's been tough. You guys have been boxing with me... It hasn't been easy."

Juan Pablo said he's just been honest with people all along, and Nikki is okay with everything because she realized they had "a real relationship." They kept repeating how happy they are and Nikki said only time will tell if Juan Pablo falls in love with her.

Juan Pablo gave no answers about what's next for them but admitted there had been a "drastic change of plans" after he learned something from the show's producers about two weeks ago.

While Juan Pablo declined to elaborate further, his comments appeared to refer to prior reports that he had been expecting to follow the footsteps of former Bachelor Sean Lowe and move to Los Angeles to compete on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars until the show recently decided it was no longer interested in him.

"Another season of The Bachelor has come to an end. Not going to lie, I'm okay moving on," Chris said later on.

The special concluded with Chris confirming Andi is the next The Bachelorette star. She's "speechless" about the opportunity and definitely "looking to find that great love."

"If you fall in love, don't be afraid to say that," Chris told Andi in a sarcastic tone, clearly taking a shot at Juan Pablo.

About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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