The Bachelor 22

Tia Booth -- Arie Luyendyk Jr.: I didn't say it on 'The Bachelor,' but I was falling in love with her too

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2018

Tia Booth apparently wasn't alone in her feelings of love for The Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr.

Tia admitted to Arie during their first one-on-one date of the season on Monday night's episode that she was falling in love with him. Because Arie said nothing in reply and just kissed her, it was unclear whether there was reciprocation.

Well, according to his People blog, Arie was in fact "falling" for the 26-year-old Arkansas-based physical therapist.

"When she told me she was falling in love with me, I was humbled and my heart was totally full. This beautiful, fantastic woman sitting in front of me was falling in love and I was falling for her too," Arie revealed.

"In this moment I had so much hope for the journey working, and knew now, more than even, that I could find my fiance and future wife."

For their date in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Tia and Arie enjoyed an adventurous airboat ride through the swamp and then dined on frog legs and fried corn on the cob at a local man's private home.

"I was so excited to get to spend a full date with Tia. She always, no matter what, made me feel happy and comfortable. From the moment I met her, Tia kept me on my heels," Arie noted.

"Our very first interaction was her being hilarious and brash. I'm not sure if you remember me missing her 'I hope you don't already have a small wiener' joke on the first night, but I sure do. We already had so many fun memories together, and I couldn't wait to make more."

Tia is a mix of a tough, outdoorsy girl with a sweet and emotional lady. Arie really appreciated how Tia challenged him at times and was comfortable in her own skin.

"One moment that wasn't in the show: one night at the mansion Tia set up champagne glasses for us to shoot like a carnival game. And that's who Tia is: the type of person to shoot Nerf guns in a cocktail dress," Arie wrote.

"Sitting next to Tia on the airboat, swampland as far as the eye could see, I couldn't help but keep laughing. The everglades are beautiful and bug-filled and absolutely spectacular."

During the dinner when Tia confessed her love to the 36-year-old pro racing driver, Arie also multiple sides of the bachelorette's personality.

"It's easy to laud Tia for her foul-mouthed hilariousness and her ability to call me out (and I do love that about her), but that night, [she also showed] she's smart and accomplished and has the ability to be vulnerable. I know she's dated some jerks in the past, but she's so much better than that," Arie insisted.

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