Leading up to the Bachelor in Paradise finale, Clay Harbor was admittedly having doubts about whether or not he’d be able to say ‘I love you’ and get engaged to Nicole Lopez-Alvar after such a short period of time on the show. Nicole was all-in on taking the next step in the relationship, but when the two got to their fantasy suite date, Clay admitted that he still wasn’t positive that he’d be ready to propose. Nicole was left in tears when Clay said he wanted to spend the night apart so they could have some “space” and think about where they stood.
Still, Nicole wasn’t ready to give up completely. “My heart wants to fight for him because I do love him so much and that’s not going to go away overnight,” Nicole admitted. “Ever since the beginning, Clay has made me feel like the only woman in the world.” Unfortunately, after Nicole professed her feelings of love for Clay at the final rose ceremony, he admitted that he still wasn’t ready to commit to an engagement. He was committed to continuing to date Nicole off the show, but that was not enough for her. When he refused to say ‘I love you,” Nicole ended things.
“Clay, honestly, I deserve the love that is so deep…the ocean would be jealous,” Nicole said. “I deserve to be loved equally and even bigger. I don’t need time anymore…I just know. I don’t understand. It doesn’t make sense. You either know or you don’t. That’s it, Clay. I’m sorry. I care for your so much and love you so much, but I have to do what’s best for me right now. I can’t tell people we’re together knowing that you don’t love me back.” With that, Nicole ran off the beach in tears, and it was over.
Clay and Nicole’s relationship began at the very beginning of Paradise, and they quickly emerged as one of the strongest couples on the show. However, midway through the season, they attended Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson’s wedding….where Clay’s ex, Angela Amezcua, was a bridesmaid. They had a cordial conversation at the wedding, but things were turned upside down when Angela actually showed up on the beach the next day.
Since Clay admittedly still cares about Angela and wasn’t thrilled to see her dating other people, the whole situation left Nicole feeling a bit insecure. However, she and Clay were able to work through it, and their relationship stayed strong. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be in the real world.