“The Bachelor: After The Final Rose” special was … interesting. Season 18 of the ABC dating series came to a close on March 10, and no one was ready for the shocking ending, let alone the explosive “After The Final Rose” special.

As Chris Harrison put it – “I don’t know what I’m looking at.”

For those that missed the season finale of “The Bachelor,” Juan Pablo ended things with Clare and chose to be with Nikki. The 26-year-old pediatric nurse told Juan Pablo “I love you,” but the only thing he could reply was “I like you a lot.” And despite having an engagement ring on him, Juan Pablo decided to just hand Nikki the final rose – which she accepted.

“We’ve been really happy,” Nikki told Chris Harrison in a one-on-one during the “After The Final Rose” special. “It’s been hard in hiding.”

But has Juan Pablo told her that he loves her in the months since filming ended?

“Not exactly,” Nikki said carefully. “I know that he does … I know that he cares about me a lot.”

The season 18 winner explained that they express things “very differently” and that she’s not going to force him to say those three words. But their relationship on-screen over the past couple of months seemed very different from what happened on stage during the special on Monday night. “Bachelor” fans expected Nikki and Juan Pablo’s reunion to be passionate, but the pair just exchanged a quick kiss before sitting down with Chris Harrison.

From the start Nikki and Juan Pablo’s joint interview was a train wreck – with Juan Pablo denying any “big secret” or “big surprise” that Chris Harrison had been teasing from the start of the three-hour episode. And when Chris Harrison dived into the hard-hitting questions – like whether Juan Pablo was in love with Nikki – things quickly turned ugly.

“I feel fantastic about this woman,” Juan Pablo said, avoiding the question.

But Chris Harrison wouldn’t give up. “So, you love her?” he asked again.

“I’m not going to answer that question to you,” the 32-year-old single dad replied. “I don’t get it.”

“People don’t understand this is real life,” Juan Pablo continued. “We’re very happy we’re starting our relationship right now. … We are done with the show, so done with the show.”

Getting defensive with his answers, Juan Pablo said that although he appreciated the opportunity, he felt that “you guys have been boxing with me.” And when Chris Harrison tried to follow up on that, Juan Pablo told him to stop interrupting him.

“The Bachelor” host tried to explain that now was the couple’s “time to shine” and that they can finally express their feelings – because that’s what the show is about. However all Juan Pablo would say was that he didn’t propose to Nikki because he wanted to respect her father.

“I would like to say that you’re in love but it’s so awkward because we can’t have a conversation,” Chris Harrison finally said to him. And it was then that Nikki finally opened her mouth.

“Time will tell,” she replied coolly. “This is real, this is a real relationship to us … we’re taking this very seriously. He has a daughter; he doesn’t have just himself to think about.”

And to that Juan Pablo said something that slapped “The Bachelor” fan base: “Sorry it didn’t end up like you guys wanted me to.”

Moving on from the “I love you” talk, Juan Pablo wouldn’t even answer questions about his plans for a future with Nikki since she lives in Kansas City and he’s based out of Miami. All he would say was that their plans “drastically” changed two weeks ago during the “Women Tell All” episode and that it’s a private matter. However he did confirm that it had something to do with information he got from production, not from something that happened during the episode.

“I’m going to say congratulations,” Chris Harrison said in conclusion of his brutal interview with Nikki and Juan Pablo. “I hope that’s the right thing to say here.”

What did you think of “The Bachelor: After The Final Rose” special? Let us know in the comments section or send a tweet to @AmandaTVScoop.

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