What happens in the fantasy suite doesn’t stay in the fantasy suite. After declaring that he wasn’t planning to sleep with any of his finalists, Zach Shallcross admitted to having sex with Gabi Elnicki during his second overnight date.
The Monday, March 20, episode of The Bachelor began with Zach explaining his intentions for “sex week.”
“It was at this time with Rachel that everything turned upside down. You got your heart ripped out of your chest. How scared are you that that could happen again?” Jesse Palmer asked the 26-year-old lead, referring to season 19 Bachelorette Rachel Recchia.
Zach noted that it felt “terrifying” to go into overnight dates again, explaining: “It’s the last thing I’d ever want to happen. … You will learn a lot about someone — regardless — for better or for worse and unfortunately, I learned for the worse at that time. I don’t really feel that with these women, but it’s always in the back of your head that something could happen. I didn’t expect it from Rachel. … Trust the gut, trust the heart.”
The host was surprised when Zach informed him that he was trying to follow Sean Lowe’s lead and not have sex on the show. “[It’s] not how I imagine how a healthy engagement should start,” the California native noted.
In a confessional, Zach added: “What feels right to me is not to explore sexual connections with three different women before falling in love. When sex is involved, it can cause so many additional hurdles and real feelings are at stake. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s difficult because I have a physical connection with [Ariel Frenkel, Kaity Biggar and Gabi].”
Ariel’s overnight was up first and she was clearly shocked by Zach’s decision not to be intimate, but after some heavy making out, they resisted temptations.
“My relationship with Ariel is so much stronger and I have so much more clarity. This was a very important night for us,” he explained. “I came into this week not wanting to involve sex and with Ariel, it was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. But we both agreed on it and it was very important to just have conversations and not have sex involved. I think it was the right decision.”
Gabi was up next and had an emotional day portion of her date, opening up about experiencing infidelity in the past.
“In previous relationships, I was chosen second. So not seeing you for so long and being the second fantasy suite, I was like, ‘Oh, I feel very second again.’ It’s an order, it doesn’t even matter. It just stressed me out for no reason,” she said. “My mind just runs to like, ‘You’re not good enough and you’re second.’”
After Zach is able to comfort Gabi and assure her that the order of the dates doesn’t matter, she admitted she’s “falling in love” with him. When she’s let in on the “no sex” plan, however, she’s a bit disappointed.
“Did I think I was going to get engaged with someone I never had sex with?” she asked. “Probably not … but we’re gonna work on it later.”
Joking that she wouldn’t “seduce” him, the twosome headed into the fantasy suite.
“Waking up this morning, I am feeling a lot of incredible feelings. Last night was really important for us, having that special time to be alone together was huge for our relationship,” Zach told the cameras. “The whole night was a very passionate night for Gabi and I, and it was really special, but my whole perspective on how I thought the week was going to go changed because something really special between us happened in the fantasy suite and now I feel like I’m holding in a secret.”
Jesse is called in to give Zach a hug — and someone to confess to.
“We both agreed and wanted to have sex together,” he explained. “It was very special, it was important and it was both what we both wanted and needed for the relationship. I feel terrible because, obviously, I’ve gone against my word and I have fears with how Kaity would feel, how would Ariel feel. … I have a guilt about the whole week now.”
Ahead of his date with Kaity, Zach visited Gabi to let her know that he’s going to be honest with the other two women about what happened.
“I do feel like my trust was broken because I do feel like it was between us and now it’s between us and everyone else,” she said in a confessional.
During their discussion, however, Gabi tried to appear unbothered. He subsequently said he was falling in love with her. “You’re f—king special and I’m falling in love with you,” he told her.
On his date with Kaity, he explained his original plan and admitted “a lot has changed” and “evolved.” Zach then told her that he had sex with one of the other women.
“I knew going into this that that is something that could potentially happen,” she responded. “It sucks, obviously, to think about it. … I just figured that was the case, but you just telling me it, like, confirming [what happened] — I get that you wanted to tell me and I know you’re saying that because you respect me, but I honestly, just, like, could have went without hearing that. … I’m not going to pretend like I’m happy. It’s weird. … It’s going to take me a minute.”
In an interview, Kaity, who said she was falling in love with the sales exec after their hometown date, added that she felt “crushed” and didn’t get why he was apologizing. “He says sorry, like, why are you sorry? You’re not sorry you did it, like, what are you sorry for? You’re sorry for the way that I’m feeling? Well, you know I would feel this way,” she said. “You know I wouldn’t be like, ‘Hey, give me a high five, pal!’ I’m really not OK right now.”
Kaity let Zach know that she wished he kept what happened with the other women to himself. While he tried to assure her that he could “really see it” being “us at the end of this,” Kaity was still upset going into the night, telling a producer she felt “so f—king confused” and “distanced” from Zach.
“How am I supposed to go into tonight when I’m not happy?” she asked, sobbing. “Heartbreak doesn’t feel good but this doesn’t feel good either.”
Kaity ultimately stayed and told Zach that they could get through the setback after he explained his issue with keeping secrets.
“You make this worth it. … You make me feel, like, some real special way,” he told her. “I can’t even put it into words, to be honest.”
At the rose ceremony, Zach told the three women that he “made mistakes” and felt like a “failure” during the week. He subsequently gave roses to Kaity and Gabi, sending Ariel home from Thailand. Kaity subtly let Gabi know that she knew what happened — and Gabi said she felt like she was wearing a scarlet letter on her chest.
The finale of The Bachelor airs on ABC Monday, March 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
