The Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay eliminated Matthew "Matt" Munson and Adam Gottschalk during Monday night's Season 13 episode on ABC.
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"It was tough," Matt said of his breakup with Rachel. "She's somebody whom I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. As difficult as it is to realize it's not going to happen between the two of us, I still really do want the best for her and I want her to find what she's looking for. I really do wish it could've worked out differently."
And Adam was in tears when addressing the cameras after Rachel had denied him the group date's only rose and chose to give it to Eric Bigger instead.
"This f-cking sucks," Adam vented. "Like, what just happened?! I guarantee if she met my family on the hometowns, this could all go totally different. She made a huge mistake, a massive mistake."
The broadcast began with Rachel and her six remaining bachelors -- Matt, Adam, Eric, Dean Unglert, Bryan Abasolo, and Peter Kraus -- traveling to Geneva, Switzerland for the next round of dates.
Rachel, a 32-year-old Dallas attorney, said she was "100 percent falling for these guys" and didn't know her emotions would grow so quickly and strong for the men during this process. Rachel explained that she's been following her heart and her gut since the start of this journey and that's the best she could do.
Once in Geneva, Rachel told her bachelors there would be no Rose Ceremony at the end of the week. Instead, there would be a rose up for grabs on each date -- three one-on-one dates and group date.
Bryan quickly learned he'd be accompanying Rachel on the week's first one-on-one date, which frustrated the other guys since this was going to be Bryan's second solo date with Rachel compared to Adam and Matt, who had yet to receive a single one-on-one date with the Bachelorette.
"Everyone really was like... okay?" Eric said of Rachel's decision.
Adam didn't understand why Rachel would take Bryan on this date, saying he was jealous, "pissed off" and didn't get why she'd "want a guy like that."
Adam understood The Bachelorette process is all about making the most out of a small amount of time, so he felt at a disadvantage since he hadn't received much alone time with Rachel. Matt was on the same page but vocalized his feelings on the issue less.
Meanwhile, Bryan and Rachel were enjoying "a very high end date." They got dressed up, drove in an expensive Bentley, and immersed themselves in local Geneva culture. Bryan felt blessed to be on this date, especially when Rachel decided to gift him with a classic watch probably worth a couple thousand dollars from a store called Breitling.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWBryan said his chemistry with Rachel was "undeniable" and he never expected to find the comfort level they had on this show. He couldn't describe their connection, and Rachel similarly felt lost in the moment whenever she was with Bryan.
After visiting the watch shop, the couple embarked on a romantic boat ride. Despite her tendencies to put up walls and hide from her genuine feelings, Rachel wasn't scared knowing that Bryan was falling in love with her. Her feelings for the suitor were "deep" and she was so attracted to his "quiet, strong confidence."
While Rachel was falling for Bryan on their date in Geneva, Dean was shown expressing his feelings on their relationship.
"[Bryan] is a 37-year-old man, lives in Miami, who has been -- for the last 18-plus years of his life -- swooning and sweet-talking women on a daily basis to the point where he's gotten good at it," Dean said, "and Rachel needs to see if it can go beyond that."
All the guys were so excited to potentially introduce Rachel to their families, but Dean wasn't sure he felt comfortable bringing Rachel home since he comes from a bit of a broken family. Dean admitted he didn't have the best relationship with his loved ones, and so this situation was weighing heavily on him.
Back on Rachel's date, she gushed about how Bryan seemed "too good to be true" because of how "sweet and sincere" he was, not to mention his good looks and great personality.
That night, Bryan opened up to Rachel about his last relationship, saying it was passionate and got hot and heavy early on.
Bryan revealed he brought this girl to a wedding in Colombia and started noticing little things he wasn't ready to compromise on. Bryan said she wasn't going to meet his mom halfway and then she broke up with him because of his mom. Bryan was afraid this could happen again.
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Dean's one-on-one date was next. Rachel was hoping to grow the connection they had developed in South Carolina.
For their date, the pair went to a Catholic mass said in French inside a beautiful church in Geneva. Rachel wanted a man who respected her faith and religious beliefs, even if he didn't believe in the same things or worship in the same way. Rachel saw church as a community she wants to be a part of.
It was a romantic, sleepy Sunday in the streets of Geneva during the couple's date. Rachel loved laughing and joking with Dean, but she needed more out of him than his fun light-hearted side. Rachel was ready to challenge their relationship and dive deeper.
But it became apparent Dean was shutting down and struggling with an internal conflict. He was afraid Rachel would be unreceptive to the idea of meeting his non-traditional family, which he said fell apart once his mother passed away from breast cancer when he was only 15-years-old.
Dean told the cameras Rachel had "no idea what she'd be walking into" with his family.
At dinner that night, Rachel was hoping to see much more than Dean's silly side, because she also needs a serious husband.
Dean then finally opened up, telling Rachel that while he liked her a lot, he was afraid to put himself out there in fear she would crush him instantaneously. Dean also revealed his hometown was going to be different from her experience with the other guys, and not in a good way.
Dean told Rachel that his father has no bearing on his emotional experience in life and has become "eccentric." He wished Rachel could've met his family in its prime up until he turned 15-years-old. Dean didn't want to introduce Rachel to "the family that abandoned me during the most vulnerable time of my life."
Dean didn't want Rachel to think that his own family was a picture of what his family with Rachel would look like one day. But Rachel assured Dean that she didn't expect his family to be just like hers, and she said he wasn't still on the show by accident. Rachel was excited to meet the family who shaped this "amazing man" Dean "is today."
Rachel eventually gave Dean the date's rose, and he was glad the Bachelorette felt good about meeting his "dysfunctional patriarchal family." Dean thought Rachel was incredible and said he was looking forward to a potential future with her.
The following day, Rachel embarked on a one-on-one date with Peter, and the pair flew over the Swiss Alps via helicopter. As Rachel held his hand on the flight, Peter was reminded of his feelings for Rachel that developed when they had their first one-on-one date at the very start of the season.
During that long period of time, Rachel also found herself missing Peter and longing for him. Once the couple's helicopter landed, the pair enjoyed a dog sled ride down the snowy slopes, and Rachel called it "such a beautiful experience."
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Rachel appreciated Peter's honesty, but the thought of him leaving terrified her at the same time. However, Peter noted he hadn't felt this way about a woman in a very long time. He also guaranteed the Bachelorette that she would love his family and friends.
Although Peter has never dated a black woman before, he also felt confident in the fact his family would support him and welcome her with open arms.
The conversation then shifted when Peter opened up about his past relationship with a woman whom he loved but said he "abandoned."
Peter confessed to really hurting this woman, and it was clear he was still torn up inside over it. Rachel began questioning whether Peter would be ready to get engaged at the end of the show, and he promised her that he wouldn't propose if his heart wasn't "100 percent in it."
Peter told Rachel that if he had any reservations about their romance, he would let her know. Rachel grew afraid that Peter would be the last man standing at the end and decide he's not ready to get married -- which is all Rachel has been looking for. She was also convinced her other bachelors were ready for that type of commitment.
Peter then expressed to Rachel how he doesn't throw the word "love" around but he was definitely "on that path."
"I really do feel like he's worth the risk," Rachel told the cameras, adding that Peter wouldn't have accepted the rose if he couldn't envision her as his future wife. "Peter's hometown could become my hometown."
The next day, Rachel embarked on her group date with Eric, Adam and Matt.
Adam thought it was "a done deal" she was going to his hometown, but Rachel had chemistry with all three of the guys and really liked them all.
For the date, the group hopped on a boat to France. Rachel explained that she had fun with Adam but also had a "soft spot" in her heart for Matt because he's such a down-to-earth man. While she had strong feelings for Eric, Rachel admitted they hit bumps in the road but she was ready to take their relationship to the next level.
Eric just wanted to be a shoulder for Rachel to lean on, a support system. He told her that it was okay to be selfish when she's looking for a life partner. Eric noted that Rachel doesn't give herself enough credit because she works so hard and deserves what she set out to find for herself.
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Meanwhile, Matt didn't want to leave and he said he wanted the rose more than anyone else. Rachel started to cry during her alone time with Matt, but it was clearly because she was trying to let him go. Rachel said Matt reminds her most of herself, and through her tears, she explained that other relationships had moved further at this point in her journey.
Rachel swore to Matt that it meant so much to her to have him there and it was a pleasure getting to know him. Rachel hated saying goodbye to him in this way, and she thought that if they had met somewhere else in a different way, they could've been happy together.
Adam felt confident and knew in his heart he was going to get the rose from Rachel and take her home. He feared, however, that she'd make the wrong decision. During his time with Rachel on the date, he expressed how there was a part of him that was falling in love with her -- but that wasn't good enough for Rachel in that she was wondering why it was just "a part" of him.
Adam clarified how it was difficult to fall in love and give himself entirely to someone without any affirmation or reassurance from his partner. Adam felt something every time he was with Rachel and found himself constantly thinking about her. Adam told the Bachelorette that moments with her felt "euphoric."
Eric then talked to Rachel about how his family lived on the tough streets of Baltimore and he grew up as a kid around temptations of crime and drugs. In fact, some of the men in his family got into some big trouble, with one man in particular currently serving time in prison. Eric revealed he never brought a girl home before, which scared Rachel.
Rachel was so torn between the two guys, and it was the hardest decision she's made on this entire journey. Rachel told Eric and Adam that she had a "really, really hard decision" to make, but she went with her gut and gave Eric the rose.
On his way out, Adam told Rachel not to regret letting him go, but it was hard for her because their connection was "so natural."
Rachel felt so honored that these guys were opening themselves up in a selfless way and were so invested in dating her. Rachel felt "humbled in her core" that she could have such strong feelings for multiple men.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
