The pilot and the sales executive called it quits on Tuesday night's episode.
Rachel Recchia and Aven Jones are no more. On Tuesday night's episode of The Bachelorette, the pilot said goodbye to the sales executive in devastating fashion.
Aven caught Rachel's attention on night one, when he told her that he was on the show to pursue her, not her co-lead, Gabby Windey.
On the largest group date in franchise history, Aven gushed to ET about Rachel being "very personable and easy to talk to." It was later that night that he earned a group date rose.
Then, on their one-on-one date shortly thereafter, Aven made Rachel swoon by gifting her a bracelet that his mom made him.
"Truly, I could easily see myself falling in love with Aven, and I feel like I'm almost there," Rachel said in a confessional at the time.
After Rachel and Aven's successful Hometown date, he opened up about her feelings toward her.
"I have zero doubts," he said. "... This night meant the world to me. My feelings are getting really, really strong. I am falling in love with you."
"I do feel like I am falling in love with Aven," Rachel said in a confessional. "I feel really confident this could be it. This could be my happy ending."
Both Rachel and Aven felt much the same after their Fantasy Suite date, with the pilot telling the cameras she was on a "different level" with the sales executive after their night alone.
"I would love to be engaged to her," Aven admitted in a confessional.
Then it was time to meet the family. Before Aven arrived, Rachel told her parents and two best friends that he "is someone I trust completely."
At first, Aven impressed the group, telling them, "To be at this point is very special... She's very special to me, and it's an honor to meet you all." He went on to win over Rachel's dad, by gushing over his "shared values" with the pilot and the "progression" of their relationship. Rachel's mom was likewise impressed, telling her daughter, "He seems very sweet."
It was the conversation with Rachel's friends that turned things in a negative direction, as Aven admitted he may not be ready to get engaged just that.
"I want to be with Rachel at the end of this. I want to have a life with her. I want the engagement aspect of it to be perfect," he explained. "... I can 1,000 percent see myself getting there... My feelings are very strong... As far as wanting to be with her, there's no doubt in my mind."
When Rachel's friends told her about Aven's comments, she called the situation "shocking," telling them, "I'm not coming out of this not engaged."
She went on to talk to Aven about the situation, and he tried to assure her that his feelings for her hadn't changed at all.
"I just want to make sure that it's 100 percent right for both of us right now," he said. "... I know that there's somebody still involved in this, that's another thing... I really care about you and I really care about us. This is a big deal. I have no doubts in my mind about us getting there, whether that's in a few days or not... I'm falling in love with you. I'm not going to sit here and throw words around at your face because it makes me happy."
Rachel asked Aven, "After overnights, you change your mind?"
He denied as much, telling her, "I want you in the end of this. I just want to make sure that engagement is the right thing for both of us."
The pair shared several kisses before parting, and Aven made sure that Rachel was OK before he left. "I had a really good conversation with all of them and I love all of them," he told her of her family.
While Rachel told Aven she was alright, in a confessional, she expressed her true feelings.
"I just feel shook up. At this point, I'm just not sure how Aven and I move forward from it," she said. "I just feel really confused and blindsided... How am I supposed to trust anyone? Everyone's lying to me. Is it better to leave by myself? What am I supposed to do?"
When Rachel and Aven met up for their final date, the sales executive told the pilot about her "really hard" time since meeting her family.
"I'm so deeply sorry about making you feel like that," he told her. "... I never want to be the reason why you cry... That really crushed me... The next step in all of this is so important to me, because I care about you."
Even so, Aven explained, "I want to do life outside of this with you. I feel like that's so important for us before we take that next step."
A tearful Rachel admitted that she's "really struggling with the situation," telling Aven, "I think the one thing that I wanted out of this was that when you sat down with my family that we were on the same page. I feel so blindsided by you."
Aven said he "might have been caught up a little bit" in the situation when he previously expressed his readiness to get engaged, but tried to assure Rachel, "My feelings toward you haven't changed at all and a life after this is something that I want with you."
That wasn't enough for Rachel, though.
"I want to be engaged. I want someone who's sure about me. I'm not willing to sacrifice that at the end of the day," she said. "... I could see this life with you outside of this... I feel like if this was any other situation it would be you and me... I ultimately feel like I just can't move forward. It's over."
Aven told Rachel that he'll "never" get over the situation, while she told him, "I just feel like my heart is breaking right now."
In a confessional, Aven lamented the end of his relationship with Rachel.
"I failed. I have no idea where I'm going from here, because I didn't think I'd be leaving here without Rachel," he said. "I saw a life with her. I will always think that if I did something different things would've been different with us. I'm upset that I wasn't there. I know that we would've gotten there."
Then, in a confessional of her own, Rachel said, "It's just hard to know it's over. I did see it being him and I at the end."
The pair reunited live in-studio, where they discussed their split in front of host Jesse Palmer.
"I'm super nervous right now. I've been very anxious to see you," Aven admitted after hugging the pilot. "... I'm extremely, extremely sorry about the way things ended between us... I cared about you too much to do that to you. I definitely feel like I let you down in that moment."
"We never had a problem, at the end of the day you just knew what was right for you and that's OK," Rachel replied. "... I respect that you were able to be honest with me."
Aven said he "didn't fully understand" what Rachel needed prior to their split, but reaffirmed that he "wasn't giving up" on their relationship, even if he wasn't ready to propose.
"I think it's all completely understandable," Rachel said. "... I appreciate your honesty and you don't have to apologize."
Aven said that he regretted not being able to talk to Rachel about his realization before he shared it with her family, before stating that he "absolutely [does] not" think her friends sabotaged their relationship.
"They just really wanted to make sure that he was ready," Rachel explained of her friends. "... I don't think they were ever trying to sabotage anything."
While Rachel said that her relationship with Aven ended because they "weren't on the same page at the end of the day," the sales executive still had a hard time putting their romance behind him.
"I was trying to fight for our relationship, I wanted to continue, I wasn't giving up on you," he said. "... Maybe the timing was off."
In the end, Rachel told Aven, "I'm really happy to see you. I really just wish you nothing but the best. I'm really just happy we had the chance to sit down and talk."
Part 2 of The Bachelorette's live season finale will air Tuesday, Sept. 20 on ABC. Keep up with the historic season by following along with ET's coverage of the series.
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