Caelynn Made A Stunning Decision At The Last Minute On 'Bachelor In Paradise'

Bachelor fans waited with baited breath to learn the thrilling conclusion of Dean's Paradise ambush to win back Caelynn, and, on the Sept. 9 episode, they got their answer. Caelynn left with Dean on Bachelor in Paradise and no one was more devastated about it than Connor.

"I came here to ask you if you would leave Paradise with me today," Dean told Caelynn, after dramatically shearing his mustache on-camera. ("I did it for you! I'm a changed man!" Dean insisted.)

Caelynn didn't give him an answer right away, though. Instead, she retreated into the hugs of her girl squad and asked to talk to Connor, who very reasonably laid out why Dean was a patently terrible choice for a boyfriend, many of which were reasons Dean himself gave Caelynn before wanting to get back together!

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy coming out of this. We're definitely going to have things to work on — myself mostly," Dean told Caelynn when he first returned. "But I guess what I wanted to come here and tell you is that I wanted to try those things and I wanted it to be with you."

She acknowledged that Connor was the safer choice with a far better track record, but Caelynn returned to Dean to finish their talk before giving Connor a straight answer.

"I know the decision that I want to make I'm just scared," she told him. "I'm scared of getting hurt again."

Dean pointed out that Connor could hurt her, too, which is true, but Connor also has a perfect Paradise report card, whereas Dean horrifically flunked twice.

"I think that we just have to promise each other that we'll do our best to not hurt each other," Dean assured Caelynn, "because I'm terrified of the same thing."

She admitted that there was a "challenging" decision to make versus an "easy" one, but Caelynn said that she always preferred to be challenged by her partners. Dean all too eagerly promised he'd always challenge her (oh boy). He couldn't say what came next when she asked, but he did confess that he wanted to try. Dean also told Caelynn that he didn't know how he was going to make her happy but that he wanted to give it a shot anyway.

"So we fly back to San Diego and you drive me back to LA in your van?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, ma'am!" Dean practically shouted. If that's what it takes!"

Even as they were having their dramatic reunion smooch, Caelynn admitted that it felt wrong. But they wound up driving off together discussing #VanLife logistics.

It was...a curve ball to put it mildly, but Caelynn definitely seemed to get the ending she wanted. As for Dean, he successfully launched yet another charm offensive, which Bachelor fans know he excels at. Whether this grand gesture will be enough to keep Caelynn by his side for good remains to be seen.

The Bachelor in Paradise airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.