Clayton Echard on The Bachelor Finale: ‘I Wish It Could Have Went Any Other Direction’

Virginia Is for Lovers! Clayton Echard and Susie Evans jetted off to her hometown for a family-filled trip following the Bachelor finale.

Susie Evans didn't wait long to get back in touch with Clayton Echard. On Tuesday's finale of , Susie rejected Clayton's offer to leave Iceland together, but the pair patched things up post-show, and appeared happy and in love during a live, in-studio appearance.The morning after their public debut, Susie told ET's Denny Directo that she «pretty much reached out to Clayton immediately» after her initial rejection.«I got my phone back, called my parents, and then I slid into Clayton's DMs,» she recalled.

Clayton. On Tuesday night's finale of , Rachel reunited with this season's leading man for the first time since he sent her home in Iceland.On part one of the show's season finale, Clayton confessed that he had expressed feelings of love to each of his final three women, and said that he had been intimate with both Gabby and Rachel.Rachel decided to stay and meet Clayton's family, despite feeling some lingering uncertainty.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentSPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead, if you have not watched Clayton Echard’s finale of “The Bachelor,” which aired March 14 and 15 on ABC.ABC has picked not one, but two stars for its next season of “The Bachelorette.”Making history in a franchise first, both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will co-star in “The Bachelorette” Season 19, which will air this upcoming summer, premiering on July 11.Windey and Recchia certainly deserve another shot at love, after the back-and-forth heartbreak they endured on Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor,” which wrapped up with its shocking finale tonight.Both finalists on Echard’s season, Windey and Recchia were put through the ringer when Echard told them each he was in love with them and admitted to being intimate with both of them — not to mention, another women in the mix, finalist Susie Evans, who he said he actually loved more than the other two, after asking them to trust him and stick with him ’til the end. After the devastating dual breakup on “The Bachelor” finale, both women emerged as fierce supporters of each other, and won over America’s hearts, as viewers were shocked by the turn-of-events with Echard over the past few episodes.ABC has not provided details as to how exactly the next season of “The Bachelorette” will work with two leading ladies, other than saying, in a press release, that Windey and Recchia will “stand by each other’s side yet again as they set out on a journey to find love.”Jesse Palmer, who made his debut as the franchise’s new host this past season of “The Bachelor,” will return to host the new season of “The Bachelorette.”“The Bachelorette” typically airs on ABC in the spring.

Spoiler Alert: The following article contains info about “The Bachelor” finale.

Spoiler Alert: The following article contains “Bachelor” finale details. 

Clayton Echard's journey came to an end in a way no one could have expected. On Tuesday's episode of the ABC series, the Bachelor said «I love you» to his final woman, Susie Evans, but she did not return the sentiment.Clayton's relationship with Susie turned rocky during Fantasy Suites week, when he admitted to being in love with and having been intimate with both Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey.Susie left the show in tears, unable to accept that Clayton held similar feelings for two other women.

SPOILER ALERT! Stop reading now if you don’t want to be spoiled for The Bachelor finale!

Didn’t we almost have it all? After nearly agreeing to give it another shot on part two of The Bachelor finale, Clayton Echard and Susie Evans’ relationship ended on a sour note.

Clayton Echard. On Tuesday night's season finale of , the leading man broke things off with the nurse after realizing his heart was with someone else.On part one of the show's season finale, Clayton confessed that he had expressed feelings of love to each of his final three women, and said that he had been intimate with both Gabby and Rachel Recchia.Gabby decided to stay and meet Clayton's family, despite feeling some lingering uncertainty.

A sudden change of heart. Clayton Echard was determined to follow his gut during part two of the season 26 Bachelor finale on Tuesday, March 15, but acknowledging his lingering feelings for Susie Evans meant facing backlash from Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia.

No more rose-colored glasses. Lauren Bushnell has mixed feelings about Clayton Echard’s messy Bachelor finale after having a complicated experience on season 20 of the series.

Susie may not be done with Clayton after all. At the conclusion of Monday night's episode of , fans got a sneak peek look at the second part of the season's two-part finale, in which Clayton grapples with his feelings for the one who got away.During part one of the season finale, Clayton convinced Gabby and Rachel not to leave the show when they learned that Susie did just that because he was in love with three women and had been intimate with two.Both Gabby and Rachel met Clayton's parents and brothers to successful results, but despite that, Clayton couldn't stop thinking about Susie, and told host Jesse Palmer that he wants «one more shot» with the wedding videographer.In the preview for Tuesday's finale, Clayton reiterates those feelings, saying, «I have fallen in love with two women, but I can’t stop thinking about Susie.»With that in mind, Jesse has a conversation with Susie, telling her, «I think he really regrets how it ended.

It ain’t over until it’s over! Susie Evans made a surprise return on the season 26 finale of The Bachelor after Clayton Echard sent her packing during the overnight dates.

Awkward! Clayton Echard introduced Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey to his family during part one of the season 26 Bachelor finale on Monday, March 14, but no one was expecting it to lead to a shocking realization.

Clayton Echard can't let go of the one that got away. On the first part of 's two-part season finale, Clayton convinced two women to stick it out, but couldn't get Susie off of his mind, all of which ET is breaking down in the recap below.The episode began as Clayton led the Jesse Palmer-coined «rose ceremony from Hell,» in which he told Rachel and Gabby, his two remaining women, that he was in love with them Susie, and had been intimate with both of them.After emotional conversations, Clayton convinced them to stay and meet his family, but two successful meetings with the parents didn't get Clayton's mind off of Susie and their love.The episode ended with the Bachelor stating that he wants one more shot with the one who got away.Keep reading for a full recap of part one of the two-part season finale of .After Susie's dramatic exit, Clayton said in a confessional that «everything blew up» with her departure. «I feel terrible that I was so upset and angry,» he said, alluding to the angry words he lobbed during their split.