Bachelor Zach Shallcross Dumps Woman Recovering from COVID Because Time Apart Jeopardized Their Connection
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Warning: This post contains spoilers from Monday's episode of The Bachelor.
Zach Shallcross and the remaining women on The Bachelor were Hungary for love on Monday.
The group headed to Budapest for the last round of dates before hometowns, which started off with Kaity receiving her second one-on-one of the season.
Zach, 26, and Kaity, 27, began their day by taking a funicular (a.k.a. cable car). Zach told the emergency room nurse he wanted to get to know everything about her, such as her favorite color (purple).
Zach shared a fun fact of his own: He's 80 percent British and his original last name, Shacklecross, comes from a British town that still exists today.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
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After the icebreakers, Zach and Kaity encountered a typewriter where they had to write each other love poems. "He makes me feel like the most special girl in the world," Kaity said in an interview after Zach read his original piece.
During the evening portion of their date, Kaity told Zach she wanted him to be able to "ask me anything." So he asked Kaity what she wanted (presumably in life) and she said a family and stability.
"Just a man that's going to be there for me, truly," Kaity added.
The ER nurse opened up about how she didn't have stability in her family growing up because her dad left her "at a very young age."
"I didn't really get to meet him fully until I was about 16 when his mother, my grandma, passed away," Kaity said. "And I think at that point, he tried to come back into my brother and I's life but I mean, he missed out on so many milestones that it was difficult. It was like I didn't know him, so it was tough. And then growing up, my mom was in a relationship with another man and he ended up becoming like my father figure."
Ricky Middlesworth/ABC
Kaity revealed that unfortunately, that man left when she was in eighth grade.
"At the end of the day, like, I lost two father figures in my life, so it was tough," she continued. "It still is tough. I wish I had that."
Zach comforted Kaity as she got emotional, telling her: "Just know I care about you."
Then he gave her a rose and said, "I can't wait to see more of you and the people that helped create you."
The couple ended the night by changing into bathing suits and making out in an indoor pool.
GROUP DATE
Ariel, Charity, Gabi and Kat went on this week's group date, meaning Brooklyn received the last one-on-one before hometowns.
The women headed to an eerie theater with flickering lights. Zach explained that magic originated in Budapest and accordingly, they'd be spending the day with a magician and mentalist. First, the magician had the ladies put their hands out and then close them. He drew something on Zach's hand and then a mark appeared on Gabi's hand.
Next, each woman sat down with Zach one at a time as the mentalist gave them readings. He asked each woman questions about their past relationships and intentions moving forward and had them think of a word in response to a scenario he described. In every case, the word the woman thought of matched the one the mentalist had written down.
Discussing topics like past heartbreak and infidelity brought up a lot of emotions for the women.
"This date, it triggered me," Gabi, 25, said later.
"I'm really frustrated with everything that transpired," said Charity, who opened up about staying with her cheating ex for longer than she should have.
Ricky Middlesworth/ABC
Zach appreciated everyone being able to "fully open up and share with me how you're feeling."
"That was a unique experience," he said at the beginning of the after party. "But with this point, I'm meeting families in a few days, and what a rose means is I am confident to meet your family."
When he privately spoke to Charity, 26, she told him: "That was a heavy group date for me."
The therapist admitted she hadn't forgiven herself for staying in a relationship with infidelity, but that it didn't mean she couldn't move forward. "I don't want you to feel like I am not ready because I 100 percent am," Charity assured Zach.
That reassurance worked. "That's huge," he said. "Like, I think sharing that and being as honest as you can, that's what I need. I feel like with you, this is not just a spark, it's, Oh no, there's a possible forever future here."
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Kat — who had spoken earlier about considering leaving the show — told Zach she felt happy she could be "fully open."
"It's like uncertainty feeling, that does make me nervous," he said.
The nurse claimed she would "never just walk away" from their relationship and "decided to go through the storm" because she saw a future with Zach.
"I don't take an engagement lightly," he said. "Like, it's forever. And if you aren't ready for that, you need to let me know."
Zach said he felt better after Kat told him she wanted "that forever feeling" and envisioned him as "my fiancé in the end of this."
Still, the group date rose went to Gabi. "This rose means I'm sure, I'm excited and more than confident to meet your family," Zach said while extending it to her.
ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
BACK-TO-BACK HEARTBREAKS
Host Jesse Palmer informed Zach that Greer made her way to Budapest after testing negative for COVID, but the medical sales rep, 24, didn't get to go on any dates this week. So Zach paid her a solo visit.
"I'm really exited to see her again, but when there is time that is continued to be taken away, it is jeopardizing what Greer and I have," Zach told Jesse, 44.
When he saw Greer, she told Zach she felt "really, really good."
"Obviously, like, when I found that I tested positive, like, feeling like my story with you was going to end really sucked," she continued. "So, I do see something between us and I guess, like, I was just wondering where you're at."
Zach said that although their relationship started "so fast and hot," he found himself "still trying to piece all this together."
Ricky Middlesworth/ABC
"I'm just following my gut, my heart, and to give a hometown rose, I need to feel 100 percent confident that I can see a future and I don't feel that," Zach said. "I would never want to string you along."
While stifling tears, Greer said, "I completely understand."
Later, on his one-on-one date with Brooklyn, she and Zach rode bikes through the city before going to what he described as "a Vegas pool party slash train station."
Brooklyn and Zach took a dip in the pool and chatted with a couple who'd met at the bathhouse 25 years earlier.
After they dried off and sat down for drinks, Brooklyn, 25, spoke with Zach about her grandfather who raised her in her dad's absence.
"He stepped in when my dad stepped out," the rodeo rancher said. "I am eternally thankful for that. He was selfless in doing so because he could've just enjoyed his time being old and happy, doing his own thing, but instead, he took me and my sister in and treated us like we were his own daughters. He's just my hero."
Zach said her grandfather "sounds like an incredible man."
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Brooklyn said she looked forward to bringing Zach home, something she only wanted to do with someone who she saw as a long-term partner. Zach stepped away to consider.
"Her father like left, and she has this incredible grandfather who loves her and wants the world for her and she doesn't take it lightly when she brings someone in the house," Zach told the cameras. "And if I'm not feeling confident, if I'm not feeling sure, who am I to be in that house?"
When Zach returned to the table with Brooklyn, he told her about his concerns.
"Hearing you talk about your grandfather and how your mother, grandfather, grandma raised you and made you into the woman you are, and they know the love that you do deserve — and you deserve it and you should have it," Zach said. "But this entire week, I haven't been able to figure it out. But there's been a block or something that just hasn't clicked and I have, like, the biggest, like, struggle today just trying to figure out, why? Why not has it been clicking in? I would never want something to be forced."
Zach continued to explain that he didn't feel "fully confident" in their relationship. "This is hard, but I want you to know that you do deserve love I can't give you," he said. "I'm so sorry."
Brooklyn took the breakup in stride. "As much as it hurts, I respect that about you," she said before leaving.
ROSE CEREMONY
The challenging decisions continued at the rose ceremony.
"I just want you all to know I'm so sorry. This will be a tough one," Zach said before handing out roses.
He asked Ariel and Charity to stick around, meaning Kat would be heading home solo.
ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
"You and I had, like, the best, strongest connection. I felt like it was incredible in The Bahamas," Zach said to Kat before she left. "And over the past couple weeks, it changed, and I couldn't see a confident future in us."
Kat felt differently. "I pushed hard because of how much I saw a future with you," she said. "And it does hurt to hear you didn't feel the same."
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The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
