"Bachelorette" contestant Luke Pell looked shocked when JoJo Fletcher eliminated him in the show's penultimate episode.
In an interview with ABC News, the Texas veteran admitted, however, said that he knew something was amiss with Fletcher when they spoke just before the rose ceremony.
During that conversation, he told her for the first time that he was in love with her.
"That was the not the best moment to say that and I knew that. And I knew by the look in her eyes [that something was off]. That was the first time she looked at me that way versus any other day," she said. "It was something that I should've been more direct about, and I didn't embrace how quickly the process happens."
'The Bachelorette' Sneak Peek: Luke Explains Why He Pulled JoJo Aside 'The Bachelorette' Recap: JoJo Goes on Hometown Dates 'Bachelorette' JoJo Fletcher Describes Each Remaining Contestant in One WordPell, 31, suggested that he had strong feelings for Fletcher when they were in his Texas hometown, but he did not explicitly say, "I love you." He told ABC News that when he put her in the car at the end of the day, he could sense that she felt uncertainty about their relationship, which is why he pulled her aside at the last moment to confess his true feelings.
"This is my first time through that [process], so I don't know when you say things. It makes it tough and kind of mind-boggling and you get wrapped up in the moment: What do you say? What do you not say? When do you say this or that?" he explained. "We had our first date and I could've said it, but I was like, 'You can't say that on the first date!' Hindsight's 20/20."
Going forward, Pell said that he'll be more communicative about his emotions.
"It's a lesson learned," he added.