Grant Ellis dropped an L-bomb on The Bachelor — but was quick to wonder if he jumped the gun.
The 31-year-old Bachelor had overnight dates with his final three, Juliana Pasquarosa, Litia Garr and Zoe McGrady, (at the Secrets Tides Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic!) on the Monday, March 17, episode after the three women had visits from ghosts of Bachelor Nation past.
Juliana was up first, revealing to Bachelor season 28 runner-up Daisy Kent that she was nervous about the fantasy suites because of infidelity in her past relationship.
“I was cheated on for so long. He had a bunch of chicks on the side,” Juliana explained.
Daisy, who ended things with Joey Graziadei just before he proposed to Kelsey Anderson, advised Juliana to take this time to talk to Grant. “I had a hard time opening up too. … [But] I started opening up and it kind of changed everything for me,” she said. “I know I did everything I could and I gave it my all. I look back on it and I don’t regret it.”
Grant and Juliana subsequently headed out on an ATV date.
“This week is hard, but I want to let you know that I think about you a lot,” Grant told Juliana, adding that even the thought of her makes him smile. “It’s scary for me, too.”
During the evening portion of the date, Juliana opened up to Grant about her ex having affairs “for six or seven years” of her life. “It’s such a challenge to go from feeling so minimized in somebody’s life and that just screwed me up so bad,” she said through tears. “I’m a little broken and I’m still working to fix myself. I want it so bad.”
Grant got teary listening to Juliana and noted that there’s part of him that is broken too. “That’s what love is for, it fixes you,” he said, telling her that he sees “treasure” when he looks at her.
They spend the night together and are all smiles in the morning. “We got a lot of questions answered. Said a lot of things, had a lot of fun,” Juliana said, with Grant applauding Juliana for opening up about her feelings.
Zoe then met up with Bachelor season 28 second runner-up Rachel Nance. (Tell Us Zoe is going to be the second runner-up without telling Us Zoe is going to be the second runner-up.) While Rachel was labeled as the girl with “the least amount of time” with Joey prior to the fantasy suites, she couldn’t hide her shock when Zoe revealed she never had a one-on-one with Grant — which is tough since the pair then head to a silent Yoga date. (Justice for Zoe?)
While Grant opened up to Zoe about his dad’s past struggles with addiction during the night portion of their date, it’s hard not to feel like Zoe is still far behind. However, they opt to spend the night together.
Bachelor season 27 winner Kaity Biggar is called in to talk to Litia, which makes sense as Litia is struggling with the idea of Grant sleeping with someone else since she has decided she will not have sex with Grant in the fantasy suite.
“Zach basically went into this week and made, like, this whole declaration — sex is off the table,” Kaity recalled to Litia — as if anyone could forget how Zach Shallcross handled “sex week” with now-fiancée Kaity and runner-up Ariel Frenkel.
“I was the third girl that went, so he had previously had two overnights, two other women, and so I finally, like, meet up with him. About 30 minutes into our date, he tells me that he got intimate with another woman,” Kaity continued. “I tried so hard to compartmentalize each relationship, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I, like, broke down, started shaking. I was like, ‘I don’t know how we recover from this.’ I knew that this was a potential that could happen, and I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to focus on him and I.”
Litia explained to Kaity that she also doesn’t want to know whether Grant is intimate with anyone else and Kaity advised her to make sure the lead knows that before it’s too late.
Before she can rely Kaity’s advice to Grant, however, Litia is forced to face a different fear — zip-lining.
When the duo do finally talk, it’s clear how serious they are getting. They discuss moving to New York to be closer to Grant’s dad in rehab in New Jersey, Litia’s hopes to have kids in two years and finally, why Litia doesn’t want to have sex in the fantasy suite.
“I have to make choices to protect my feelings and my peace, so sex is just, like, not on the table for me,” Litia, who is Mormon, told Grant.
“Honestly, I respect that. 100 percent,” Grant replied, agreeing with Litia that sex is “important” and “special” but not everything. “It’s not the foundation of the relationship because when you make that your foundation, [your relationship] is not built the right way.”
Grant continued to praise Litia and dropped the bomb. “I think the maturity that you bring is big. I like the ground that you stand on, and I know where your priorities are, and I know what’s important to you, it’s what you are on the inside that I can see myself with you,” Grant said. “And see you as my wife, because I do love you.”
Litia said “I love you, too” — and they agree to spend the night together.
Grant later revealed to the cameras that this is only the second time he has said “I love you” in his life and he has fears that he shouldn’t have said it on the show with other women left.
“Maybe I should have waited a little longer,” he admitted. “I do love her, but I also am falling hard — and, if not, very close to — in love with somebody else. I never thought it would be possible to be in love with multiple women.”
At the rose ceremony, Grant gave roses to Litia and Juliana, sending Zoe home.
Before the episode ended, fans saw a sneak peek at Grant’s conversation with his family about being torn between his final two — and it’s safe to say his mom is concerned about how this will all shake out. Grant even warned the cameras: “Stay tuned for my demise.”
The Bachelor season 29 finale airs on ABC Monday, March 24, at 8 p.m. ET.
