What began as a promising connection forBacheloretteKatie Thurstonended in flames whenGreg Grippomade his shocking exit just before the finale.
“I was completely blindsided,” Thurston, 30, tells PEOPLE of the heated conversation in which Grippo, 28, accused her of dismissing his feelings and holding back her own. “Greg received validation from night one with his first impression rose. It is unfortunate that it went the way that it did.”
In the moment during their breakup, “I felt like I did something wrong, like, ‘What could I have done better?'” says Thurston, whogot engaged to Blake Moyneson the season finale.
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Katie Thurston and Greg Grippo.abc (2)

And ultimately, despite the feelings she once had for Grippo, Thurston says had he stayed on the show, she still would have ended up with Moynes.
“The outcome would definitely have been the same,” she says. “Greg’s Hometown [date] was a little off. It was almost like I saw it coming before it happened. Something didn’t feel right. With Blake, it was always so easy and natural.”
Blake Moynes and Katie Thurston.Craig Sjodin/ABC

In the end, “I have no regrets,” says Thurston. “[The process] was harder than I expected, but it’s really made us stronger as a couple and it’s made me feel very confident in where I am with Blake. He is the one for me.”
source: people.com