The former Bachelorette, 35, posed for a playful pic with her two dogs, Ramen and Pinot, on Wednesday, February 24, that had her followers wondering about her relationship status. “That’s so fetch,” she wrote via Instagram as she knelt beside her pups in front of a candy hearts mural. Directly above her, one heart read, “Single AF.”

“K, but the single AF heart in the background is just random … right? 😢,” one user asked in the comments, while another hoped there wasn’t “a secret message” hidden in the post.

Tartick, 32, played along as the pair’s devoted fans grew concerned that another Bachelor Nation breakup could be on the horizon. “Who’s single AF, Ramen or Pinot?” the investment banker commented.

After sending her followers into a frenzy, Bristowe attempted to clear the air — but ultimately caused even more confusion.

“So, I posted a picture and in the background it said, ‘Single AF,’ but I didn’t even notice,” the season 29 Dancing With the Stars champ explained in an Instagram Story video on Wednesday night. “People thought that was hinting toward something. It’s not. So then I put [another photo] on my Story [because] if you zoom out, it also says ‘Engaged AF.’ Basically saying, ‘Don’t take it seriously.’ Now people think I’m engaged.”

The Canadian reality star turned the camera toward Tartick, who was playing with their dogs in the background. When she asked him, “Are we happy?” he responded by singing “Happy Together” by The Turtles.

Bristowe reiterated her status once more, posting a photo of a mug with the words “Taken AF” on it. “Just gonna sip from this,” she joked in the caption.

The “Off the Vine” podcast host was previously engaged to Shawn Booth, whom she met while filming season 11 of The Bachelorette in 2015, but the pair broke it off in November 2018. Two months later, Bristowe confirmed she was dating Tartick, who appeared on season 14 of The Bachelorette.

“[It’s] the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in and [an engagement] just feels like the natural next step,” the Spade and Sparrows founder told Us Weekly exclusively in May 2020, one month before revealing during a fan Q&A that she and the New York native already had their eyes on the perfect engagement ring.

A proposal isn’t the only thing on their minds. While discussing their New Year’s resolutions with Us in January, Bristowe said that she wants to make “both mental and physical” improvements in 2021. “I want to feel strong to have a baby,” she added at the time.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Meredith Nardino