Nicki Sterling bared her heart when she told The Bachelor star Ben Flajnik that she loved him during hometown dates, but the Texas native says she was “blindsided” when the wine maker sent her home after fantasy suites in Switzerland. Nicki opened up to People magazine about how she’s moving on, and what she thinks about the highly controversial Courtney Robertson.

“It’s hard to say who I thought was going home. I just did not think it would be me,” Nicki said about the last night she saw Ben.

After watching the show, she know has come to come realize that she developed strong feelings for Ben, a lot fast than he did for her.

“Hearing him refer to me as the ‘dark horse’ lets me know he enjoyed my company in the beginning but didn’t have a strong connection until the end,” she admitted.

Nicki may not be ready to get back on the horse on start dating again, but she says she’s gotten the closure she needed to start her healing process.

“I heard what I needed to get closure. I didn’t need to hear nice things to be okay with leaving or with myself. I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” Nicki said.

The happy-go-lucky Texan doesn’t even fault Ben for the notorious skinny-dipping incident with Courtney, but did say it hurt watching it unfold.

“It stung a lot to see that knowing that was the same week we had our first real moments together. I wish he would have said, ‘Not a good idea. The girls will be upset.’ But he’s a 29-year-old guy being seduced by one of the most attractive women on earth. I can’t fault him in the moment,” the raven-haired beauty admitted.

Nicki may think Courtney’s pretty, but she doesn’t think she’s genuine.

“I didn’t buy it at all. I didn’t believe her tears. It looks as though she realized her chance of making it to the end might be hindered by how she treated other people so she started to backpedal. The Courtney that I got to know wasn’t sincere in that manner,” she said.

Nicki said she thinks that of the two girls remaining, Lindzi Cox is the best match for Ben. She said if Ben did pick Courtney, she wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already split.

“I don’t see how Ben could watch the season and not be extremely upset and disappointed with her. He’s being fooled,” said Nicki.

Nicki admitted it will be a while before she puts her heart back on the line, but is “confident” one day she will find love. Monday night all the girls on the show will open up about their experience on the show in the special “Women Tell All” episode.

Tell us what YOU think! Of the final two girls, who do you think is best suited for Ben?

Nicole Fukuoka

More ‘Bachelor’ News:

1. ‘Bachelor’ Shocker: Courtney Robertson Apologizes — ‘I Take It All Back’
2. Kacie Boguskie: ‘It Wouldn’t Surprise Me’ If Ben Flajnik & Courtney Robertson Break Up
3. ‘Bachelor’ Preview: Ben Flajnik’s Women Attack Courtney Robertson For Her Lies

Nicki Sterling, who was the third eliminated contestant on The Bachelor, can’t believe that Courtney Robertson may be the recipient of Ben Flajnik‘s final rose. Nicki was completely “shocked” when she found out that Courtney has already tried on wedding dresses and may soon become Ben’s wife.

“I’d have to chew on that for a little while,” Nicki told People. “I don’t even know. I’m kind of shocked right now. I’m sorry, wow, my mouth is open right now.”

Nicki hopes that the wedding dress shoot wasn’t just another one of Courtney’s evil stunts to get the spotlight to focus on her. “I would hope and pray that is not the case,” Nicki said. “There are no words to describe how horrible that would be. I mean, somebody’s heart is on the line. And not just somebody’s, but it’s Ben who I care deeply about. I cannot believe that anybody — even as manipulative as Courtney — would take it that far. I would hope not.”

Courtney left Mark Zunino Showroom in West Hollywood, Calif., with a garment bag on Feb. 29. Could she have been carrying out the dress that she plans to wear when she walks down the aisle with Ben?

BFFs — are you as outraged as Nicki by the possibility that Courtney could soon be Ben’s bride? Share your thoughts below.

More Bachelor News:

1. Kacie Boguskie: I Hope ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik Is Happy With Courtney Robertson
2. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s Cheating Scandal Leaves Courtney Robertson Heartbroken — Report
3. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik: My Heart Told Me To Give Courtney Robertson The Rose

Ben Flajnik is down to three remaining women — Lindzi Cox, Courtney Robertson and Nicki Sterling — on The Bachelor. During the Feb 27 episode, they travel to Switzerland for the overnight dates. But after the three intimate dates are done, Ben receives a shocking visit from eliminated contestant Kacie Boguskie, who has traveled across the world to warn him that Courtney doesn’t love him.

Nicki gets the first date. The take a helicopter ride to have a picnic at the top of a mountain. During the night portion of the date, Nicki accepts the fantasy suite card. Ben pops some champagne. They seem so “at ease” together as Ben puts it.

Next, Ben takes Lindzi repelling to the bottom of a canyon, and then they cozy up in a jacuzzi. Like Nicki, Lindzi also takes the fantasy suite invitation. She spends the rest of the making out with Ben on a big, puffy bed.

Courtney goes on the third overnight date. During their cute picnic, Ben and Courtney get into an argument over why Courtney is always so rude to the other girls. “I tried really hard to be nice with them,” she says. “They’d jump on me. Maybe I said something that was hurtful at the time.”

“It’s pretty messed up,” Ben replies. “I don’t want to get into it.”

But the conversation continues over dinner. “This did bring out the worst in me at times,” Courtney confesses. “I think that I could have handled myself differently. I don’t want you to feel like I’m being fake.”

Ben accepts Courtney’s apology. “I think there’s more good than bad,” Courtney continues. “I think that I’ve been totally immature at times and looking back I could have done things differently. I’m sorry.”

Kacie surprises Ben in his hotel room. First, she asks Ben for an explanation as to why he dumped her — but then she warns him about Courtney’s evil intentions. “I don’t want to see you get your heart broken again,” she tells Ben. “I feel like if you were to choose Courtney you will get your heart broken. I’ve watched her for a while. It seems like she’s in this to win it and she’s made comments, ‘If it’s not Ben, there are other fish in the sea.’”

Ben’s shocked by Kacie’s words. “There are still questions I have about Courtney and her motives for being here,” Ben admits.

Unfortunately, Ben decides not to listen to Kacie’s advice and gives Courtney a rose. He sends Nicki home instead.

- Lindsey DiMattina

More Bachelor News:

1. Courtney Robertson ‘Has True Feelings For Ben’ Flajnik, Says Ben’s BFF
2. Courtney Robertson Was Edited To Look Like A Villain On ‘The Bachelor,’ Says Friend
3. ‘Bachelor’ Host: Courtney Robertson Needs To Apologize To Ben Flajnik

Will cunning Courtney Robertson finally be kicked off of her “winning” streak on The Bachelor? Ben Flajnik‘s down to three remaining women — Lindzi Cox, Nicki Sterling and Courtney — but during the Feb. 27 episode, Kacie Boguskie shows back up with a warning for Ben. Is Courtney’s true demeanor about to be revealed?

Courtney has a serious talk with Ben. “The thing that worries me is I don’t want you to feel like I’m being fake,” she says to him in a preview video.

But Courtney is worried that her game is over. “I realized today how much I love Ben and how afraid I am of losing him because of some of my actions with the girls,” she confesses to the cameras. “I’m just really hoping the damage that I caused the the girls doesn’t make me lose him.”

“It’s hard for me to hear those other things,” Ben admits. “It’s going to take me a while to figure this one out. I’m confused and cloudy. I don’t really know what to make of this whole situation. I really hope that I make the right decision.”

And then Kacie, who Ben eliminated during the hometown dates, surprises Ben by showing up at his hotel door with a message that leaves him hurt and confused. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Ben says. “Am I being played?”

Is Ben done with Courtney? Watch the preview video below.

Be sure catch an all-new episode of The Bachelor on ABC Feb. 27 — and check back here at HollywoodLife.com for our recap.

- Lindsey DiMattina

More Bachelor News:

1. Courtney Robertson ‘Has True Feelings For Ben’ Flajnik, Says Ben’s BFF
2. Courtney Robertson Was Edited To Look Like A Villain On ‘The Bachelor,’ Says Friend
3. ‘Bachelor’ Host: Courtney Robertson Needs To Apologize To Ben Flajnik

Courtney Robertson seems cold and uncaring as she manipulates Ben Flajnik into giving her his heart on The Bachelor. Sources close to the venomous vixen reveal the heartless tactics Courtney used to trap Ben while filming.

“Courtney looked at The Bachelor as a game,” a source tells Us magazine. “Ben was the prize, and she was going to win.”

Eliminated contestant Monica Spannbauer agrees: “Courtney was going to pull out any gun and any ammo necessary to make this work for her.”

This is how Courtney seduced Ben, according to Us magazine‘s sources:

• Courtney convinced Ben that she hadn’t been lucky in love lately and was ready to fall hard. “She came in and seemed very vulnerable,” an insider explains. “She talked about not getting asked out a lot.” But, another source claims that Courtney always had a boyfriend by her side throughout the 11 years prior to her Bachelor experience.
• She forced herself to start having feelings for Ben so that she wouldn’t lose sight of the prize. “Courtney said the guys she dates have to have status,” says a source. So when she found out that Ben was a self-made millionaire, she used that notion as the key to hold her on track.
• Courtney fed Ben every line in the book. “She knows exactly what to say to guys,” a friend of Courtney’s shares. Courtney has pulled that stunt more than once, especially during the Feb. 20 episode when she told Ben that she was falling in love.
• Courtney kept her enemies (the other women) at bay. “Courtney said her agent prepared her well and told her not to share any personal information with the girls,” the source states. “She kept in her corner the whole time. She never made conversation with the girls.”
• Courtney tried to scare the other girls away from Ben. “Those little jabs were tactics to try to intimidate all of us, to get us off of our game, and to take the focus off of Ben,” says former contestant Emily O’Brien.
• Courtney blinded Ben with her sex appeal. “Courtney knew Ben was sexually attracted to her,” shares contestant Jamie Otis. “She wasn’t shy to use it.”
• She mentally prepared for her attacks. According to Monica, Courtney took “four-hour [naps] before every event.”
• Courtney was aggressive. “[Ben] told Courtney once that she seemed like the only one who cared,” says Emily. “I wish I had been more forward.”
• Courtney dressed — and undressed — the part. “She was very particular about what she wore and when she wore it,” says the source.

But, final-three contender Nicki Sterling thinks that it won’t be long until Ben finds out all about Courtney’s lies. “You can only fool someone for so long before your true colors come out,” she warns.

BFFs — do you think Ben will realize that Courtney lied to him?

More Bachelor News:

1. Courtney Robertson’s Ex Defends Her: ‘She’s Actually A Nice Girl’
2. Courtney Robertson Is Mocking Marriage & ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik
3. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik: ‘Hearing Courtney Tell Me She Loves Me Made It All Worth It’

No matter how much the other women warn Ben Flajnik that Courtney Robertson is playing him, he is still falling madly in love with her. During the Feb. 13 episode of The Bachelor, Ben had a serious conversation with Courtney about her intentions after Kacie Boguskie and Nicki Sterling hinted that Courtney was lying to him. But Courtney tricked Ben into giving her another rose. And in his People.com blog, Ben gushes about how much he cares for Courtney.

“I still feel great about Courtney because when I’m with her, I feel really connected to her,” Ben writes.

Their one-on-one date was monumental. “As we walked through the tall trees I felt at home, both in Belize and with Courtney,” he notes. “Unfortunately, with her problems back at the house with the other girls, we had a very different conversation than what I was expecting.”

Courtney told him that she had lost the “spark” with Ben. “I was startled to hear that Courtney had been through so much and to think that she had taken such steps back, emotionally,” he recalls. “I wanted to let her know how I felt and that nothing had changed for me and that I had held on to every moment. Thankfully, our conversation brought us right back to where we wanted to be, and as we climbed the steps to the top of the ruins, I felt a new sense of hope. Here I was, standing amongst the clouds with an amazing woman.”

“I know it’s been hard for Courtney, and to be honest, I’m not sure this was the best environment for her,” Ben explains. “My feelings for Courtney are strong and I don’t want to let external forces get in the way.”

But Ben still felt the pressure to corner Courtney before the rose ceremony to make sure that she cared for him too. “It’s amazing to see how deeply the women felt about their dislike for Courtney, and it’s equally amazing not to see any of that coming through in her actions with me,” he says. “It was a lot to consider, but my conversation with Courtney at the rose ceremony reaffirmed that I have to … focus on the way she is when she’s with me.”

BFFs — do you think Ben should have given Courtney another rose?

More Bachelor News:

1. ‘Bachelor’ Recap: Ben Flajnik Confronts Courtney Robertson About Her True Intentions
2. Is ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s Friend Ames Brown Crushing On Ben’s Girlfriend?
3. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s BFF HATES Courtney Robertson For Lying To Ben

Has Ben Flajnik finally figured out that Courtney Robertson isn’t on The Bachelor to find love? During the Feb. 13 episode, Ben confronts Courtney about her true intentions. Will she be honest with him or will she fool him again with her lies?

Lindzi Cox gets the first one-on-one date. They jump out of a helicopter into the ocean. “I’m definitely falling in love with Ben,” Lindzi admits to the cameras. They write a message and put it in a bottle to send out to sea.

Emily O’Brien gets the second one-on-one. Ben takes her to catch lobster on a small boat. He gets lucky and hooks one. During the night portion of the date, Emily invites Ben to meet her parents.

Back at the hotel, Courtney whines to the cameras about Ben choosing to take Emily on a date instead of her. She states that she’s not sure if she wants to take him home to meet her family next week. “I really liked him,” she pretends to cry. “If I don’t get a one-on-one this week, I won’t be accepting a rose from Ben.”

Lucky for Courtney, Ben gives her the next one-on-one date. Ben and Courtney find a temple in the Belize jungle, but Courtney has something to tell Ben. “If I didn’t [get a one-on-one] I wasn’t going to accept a rose,” Courtney reveals. “I’m not going to bring someone home if I don’t know where we’re at. I haven’t felt that spark. I lost the spark babe.”

“If anything I respect those kind of things,” Ben responds. “It’s hard for me not to console you. You made yourself stand out out of anyone else that’s been here. I’m thinking I see my life with this woman. Today, I felt certain.”

“I have refound the spark,” Courtney tells him after they climb the temple steps. “We fit nicely together.” Ben is whipped.

Courtney then spews out lie after lie to Ben about the other women and complains about not liking them. Red flags start to go up for Ben. He likes Courtney but doesn’t want to be with a woman that other people don’t like.

Rachel Truehart, Nicki Sterling and Kacie Boguskie go the group date which takes them swimming with Ben and sharks. Kacie gets the rose.

Nicki and Kacie then talk to Ben about Courtney. “We want you to be cautious about Courtney,” Nicki warns. The women hint that Courtney isn’t on The Bachelor to find love.

Before Ben starts the rose ceremony, he pulls Courtney aside. “I know it’s been difficult for you, I just want to know that you are in this?” he asks her.

“The only reason I’m here is for you,” Courtney responds. “It’s been hard for me, but I think we can make each other happy. I’ve been nothing but honest and open.”

To the other girls’ disappointment, Courtney’s lies convince Ben to give her the last rose. Rachel and Emily go home.

- Lindsey DiMattina

More Bachelor News:

1. ‘Bachelor’ Preview: Ben Flajnik Confronts Courtney Robertson
2. Is ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s Friend Ames Brown Crushing On Ben’s Girlfriend?
3. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s BFF HATES Courtney Robertson For Lying To Ben

Will Ben Flajnik ever find love on The Bachelor? During the Feb. 6 episode, Casey S. is forced to tell Ben that she’s in love with another man. And Courtney Robertson pulls another manipulative and provocative stunt when she takes her top off during the group date.

Kacie Boguskie gets the first one-on-one date with Ben. They take a helicopter to a private island. During the dinner part of the date, Kacie admits that she was bulimic and anorexic in high school. Because she opens up, Ben gives her the rose.

Emily O’Brien, Nicki Sterling, Lindzi Cox, Casey S., Jaime Otis, and Courtney go on the group date. Ben takes them on a boat ride down a river to a village where the women dress up in the traditional clothing of the local tribe. While the other women refuse to take their tops off to sport the traditional bead and colorful crop tops, Courtney is the only one to strip down. “I’m bare chesting it,” she brags. “Why night? I don’t do anything half ass.” Ben, who is in a loin cloth, notices that Courtney is the only one to participate. Ben and Courtney end up dancing together. They basically have no clothes on.

During the night portion of the date, Courtney again temps Ben to spend alone time with her. “I just want to feel special,” she tells him. “I feel like I need to keep that spark alive. I’m in room 1611. We can just lay there … “

While Jamie is having a private conversation with Ben, Courtney strips to her bikini, gets in the pool and deliberately distracts Ben. “I see Courtney in her bathing suit,” Ben confesses. “It’s very difficult to focus. Obviously I want to look.”

Lindzi gets the rose — and Ben never visits Courtney’s room.

Blakeley Shea and and Rachel Truehart get the two-on-one date. He takes them salsa dancing. Rachel gets the rose, and Blakeley goes home.

Host Chris Harrison next surprises the girls and asks to speak to Casey S. alone. “It was brought to my attention by three different people that you’re in love with someone else,” he confronts Casey. “Michael is your boyfriend back at home. That’s what I want to talk to you about. We spoke to Michael — he said you guys are still in a relationship. He said you were practically living together before you left.”

“Basically I was completely in love with him,” Casey admits. “He told me from day one he doesn’t know if he wants to get married. A year ago, I broke up with him and [got] back together with him. Maybe I should be in therapy. I think that my perfect scenario would be to fall in love with Ben.”

“I don’t want to be in love [with Michael],” Casey continues. “I want to give up hope that he will change. It’s really come to my attention last night that I still have hope he’ll change.”

Chris pushes Casey to go talk to Ben. “I came into this wanting to get over a guy who I was in love with, I think that I’m not completely over him,” she cries to Ben.

“I wish you had been honest,” Ben replies. “If you felt this way, I wish you had told me sooner. I think that you should go home.”

During the rose ceremony, Ben does not give a rose to Jamie and sends her home as well.

- Lindsey DiMattina

More Bachelor News:

1. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik’s Best Friend Warns Him: Courtney Robertson Is Tricking You
2. ‘Bachelor’ Preview: Courtney Robertson Takes Her Top Off For Ben Flajnik
3. ‘Bachelor’ Ben Flajnik Warning — You’re The 4th Celebrity Guy Courtney Robertson Has Tried To Land