Tayshia didn't need another date with her runner-up to know who had her heart.
The heart wants what it wants... and Tayshia Adams' heart wants Zac Clark. The Bachelorette made her decision before handing out her final rose on Tuesday's season finale of the ABC dating show, choosing to send finalist Ben Smith home on their last date together.
"I know what my heart wants, and it's not Ben," Tayshia told the camera, after a serious heart-to-heart with her dad and one last date with Zac. "I wish my heart was with him, but it's just not. ... I know what I need to do. I don't like hurting people."
Tayshia then visited Ben at his suite, for what he thought was going to be their last date before his proposal. She sat him down on the couch, and told him how she felt.
"Through this whole week, all I've been thinking about is the entire journey here," she began. "And that starts with us, really. I remember seeing you out of the group of guys, and you were someone I wanted to continue to get to know. I don't think I've told you this, but you kind of set the bar for people, because you were being vulnerable with me, and I saw that, and I started falling for that guy more and more. And this week, it's a really heavy week, and I care about you so much. I just feel like my heart is with somebody else."
"I just -- I don't want you to, like, ever second-guess anything. And me giving you that rose the other night was because I truly, truly wanted to give us another chance, because I saw something," she explained of taking Ben back after his final four elimination. "I just feel like we missed out on a little bit of time that was... very monumental."
Ben told Tayshia that he was genuinely "hopeful that we would be together." In fact, earlier that day, he told the camera he had a "gut" feeling he would propose, and Tayshia would accept.
"I'm in love with you, that doesn't change. I saw it going differently, but when you love somebody, you want them to be happy," he shared with Tayshia, before saying goodbye.
"I'm happy for you. I'm dead serious," he added, giving her one last hug. "It's all right."
Ben had a back-and-forth journey on The Bachelorette, as he was eliminated after his "hometown" date before he could tell Tayshia he was in love with her. Ivan Hall, Brendan Morias and Zac went onto fantasy suites, where Brendan self-eliminated. Ben then returned, telling Tayshia he was in love with her and asking for another shot. She invited him to the next rose ceremony at the top of Tuesday's season finale, where she sent Ivan home. Ben and Zac met Tayshia's family, but she realized it was Zac who had her heart.
"I put all of myself into this," Ben reflected after his and Tayshia's breakup. "I thought I was going to be her husband. I'm still in love with her. I don't know what the f**k to do now, but -- I lost a really good thing. All the things I was looking for, all the things I saw in her, all the beauty that she has, our life would have been so good. She was perfect for me."
Part 2 of the season finale of The Bachelorette airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ET's Lauren Zima will be recapping everything that goes down, directly after the episode. Watch ET Live on your Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV or you can stream on Pluto TV and Samsung TV Plus.
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