“I think, in that moment, we had a really tough conversation,” he exclusively told Us Weekly at The Bachelorette: Men Tell All taping. “You know, it doesn’t really show in the season, but [there] was definitely something [between us] that showed whether I was [really] enough for her.”

Looking back, Andrew, 26, explained that he doesn’t “deny our love,” calling their romance “1000 percent real,” but noted that it still hurt leaving New Mexico without Katie, 30.

“I believe that she had stronger relations with [everyone] else. So, whether I made it the next week or the other way, like, she wasn’t going to pick me because I wasn’t that guy,” he recalled. “I think she knew what we had. … It’s f—ked up in a breakup situation [that] you’re sitting here defending her, but at the same time, I just know her heart. I know what we had was real.”

During the July 19, episode, of the ABC dating series, fans watched as Andrew was let go despite having what he called the “most real relationship out of anyone else’s.” He decided to go to Katie’s hotel room before leaving the series for good — and he left her a note telling her that if she “changed her mind,” he’d be waiting.

“I just wanted to end things on a happier note, which sort of didn’t go as well as planned, but I just definitely wanted to end things, like, you know, ourselves, like, who we are, who we know each other to be, and that’s always smiling,” the pro football player told Us of his love letter. “That’s one of the conversations that we had in the beginning. Through our struggle, we always found a way to smile. We always found a way to be humorous.”

However, the gesture seemingly backfired when Katie came running downstairs and offered Andrew a chance to stay a little bit longer. He ultimately chose to walk away, telling the cameras, “I want my future wife to choose me.”

Andrew doesn’t regret leaving, but he told Us that it was heartbreaking to say goodbye after Katie hugged him and asked him to stay.

“I didn’t expect was her to be sprinting down the stairs, like a rom-com and completely suck the wind out of my lungs, making my heart sink,” he said. “I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ So, yeah [it] definitely [made me] starstruck. Definitely a moment I’ll cherish forever. One of the things I love most is moments that really take your breath away. And that was definitely one of those moments.”

While the part-time Austria resident didn’t get the romantic ending he had hoped for, he told Us he’s still a fan of rom-coms and searching for The One. In fact, he revealed that if he could be in any rom-com he’d join the cast of Four Christmases.

“I put myself in Vince Vaughn’s [role]. I think that would be a great,” he said, noting he watched it the night prior and “laughed my face off” at how funny it is. “[In the end], they just come to terms with how much they love each other and they want to make [it work]. Chef’s kiss!”

The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Johnni Macke