The Bachelor’s Bella Varelis hasn’t shied away from being authentic, with the brunette beauty telling Locky Gilbert, 30, she loved him ahead of the final rose ceremony.
WATCH: Bachelor Locky Gilbert rejects Bella
But on Thursday night, Bella’s world came crashing down, when Locky revealed that he’d found the woman of his dreams – Irena Srbinovska, 31.
Locky said: “I fell in love with you the first day I saw ya and I saw those big brown eyes. Like, they just make me go crazy. And, when I told you I love you, I meant every single word.
“But, I have fallen in love with two girls. And, I know you don’t see where your future is at the moment. I think I need just a little bit of certainty. I just don’t know if I can see us working.”
Shattered, Bella replied: “I just don’t get it. Yesterday, you told me you were in love with me.”
When Locky tried to explain his reasons for questioning their future, reflecting on his questions in the pool, Bella snapped: “You can’t turn this around on me!”
Clearly overcome with emotion, Bella walked away and didn’t look back.
It was shock revelation, which could have gone either way – given how Locky struggled to choose and seemingly broke Bachelor code telling both ladies he loved them.
After treating Bella to a romantic final date in a sprawling meadow, Locky couldn’t help but say how he was really feeling.
“I’m definitely falling in love with you,” Locky told the 25-year-old marketing consultant, who was seemingly thrilled to finally hear the words come out of the hunk’s mouth.
But despite having a mini meltdown ahead of the final rose ceremony, the 30-year-old eventually realised his heart belonged to Irena, which he later confessed.
The news came as a brutal shock to Bella, who had all but made peace with the idea that Locky was probably going to choose her over Irena.
“It’s given me hope that everything will be alright. I mean, who tells someone they love them and then picks someone else?” Bella told herself, while driving to meet Locky.
Despite opting to end his relationship with Bella, the decision was no easy feat for Locky, who broke down in tears ahead of his final meeting with the ladies.
“How am I meant to do it? You don’t break up with someone you love!” he told producers.
Later in the car, Bella fought back tears as she questioned how somebody could profess to loving someone else and then turn around and reject them.
“He doesn’t love me. If he loved me, he’d wanna be with me. Who does that to someone, who tells them they’re in love with them and then…?” she added.
The dramatic finale began with both girls trying their best to impress the hunk ahead of introducing him to their families, which for Irena, ended up being a virtual meet and greet.
Pulling out all the stops to prove to Locky she was an “outdoorsy” type of gal, who could keep up with his adventurous nature, Irena took him on a rainforest hike.
“I’m really looking forward to spending the day with Irena. There’s something special about the connection I have with her,” Locky said ahead of their alone time.
“I’m just so excited to see Locky. I miss him when I’m not with him and can’t wait to have him all to myself again. I see my future with Locky so clearly,” Irena said.
After meeting Irena’s family and enduring the third degree from her brother Igor, Locky managed to win them over and even received their blessing.
“I really do hope that my sister and him do end up together. Take care of my sister,” Igor said.
Locky’s first encounter with Bella’s family was equally as awkward, with the 25-year-old’s father giving the Survivor star a hard time for his publicised love life.
After cooking Bella’s mum, dad and stepdad a meal, Locky was pulled aside by her biological father who didn’t hold back from asking the difficult questions.
And even though Locky “gave the right answers”, the father went on to say that he still wasn’t convinced he was the right guy for his daughter – not after one meal.
“It is nice meeting Locky, but you’re not going to get my approval, you know, after an hour of being in my daughter’s life,” he said.
Later, during their farewells, Bella broke down and finally revealed her true feelings for Locky, who held back from giving her any sign of how he felt.
“I have mixed emotions at the moment. There’s a sense of relief because this has gone so well, but also, I know I don’t have much time with Locky left, and I’m panicking because this could be it,” Bella admitted.
Eventually, after collapsing into his embrace, Bella whispered into Locky’s ear: “I do love you!”
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