Why 'Bachelor In Paradise' Fans Shouldn't Give Up On Kendall & Grocery Store Joe Just Yet

The fandom is still reeling from Joe Amabile and Kendall Long's breakup on Bachelor in Paradise, but don't fret just yet. It seems like Kendall and Grocery Store Joe might not really be done. Or at least the BIP cast members are giving the viewers some hope that their relationship isn't really over.

In a post-split interview with People, Joe emphasized, "I was planning on leaving as a couple." So were the viewers. If fan were so thrown off by the super sudden breakup, just imagine how Joe himself felt during that conversation. However, during that interview, Joe even confessed, "I was blindsided. I was very upset about it because I still had really strong feelings for her." The key word in that comment is "still." He "still" has "really strong feelings for" Kendall. So maybe, just maybe, they can work things out.

When asked about the possibility of a Paradise engagement while he was still on the show, Joe shared, "I would have felt that would have been forced. I didn’t think we were there yet, though I did feel we were there to leave as a couple." He also previously hinted in a recent interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he might end the series with a lasting connection in some capacity, smiling and telling the fill-in host Lea Michele, "I guess we'll see. You know I can't tell you that."

During the aforementioned People interview, Kendall admitted, "I kept running away from the fact that I was falling for him." Joe was all in with Kendall right from the jump, but they joined the show with two different mindsets. Kendall explained to People,

"I went into Paradise thinking you need to date, you need to be open-minded, you need to experience people. So I thought I can’t cling to one person the entire time."

But it's Joe we're talking about — he's a true American treasure. Why bother dating other people when there's a quality guy fully invested in dating you? Of course, this is easy to say as an outsider watching a TV show, but Kendall did get the opportunity to watch their time together from that same outside lens when the show started airing. Let's just hope this gave her some clarity, so they can reconcile their differences if they so choose.

Kendall continued to People, "I also had so much fear about getting hurt. My fear was thinking, OK it’s great on Paradise, but it freaked me out to think I would invest myself in him and then it would break apart after the romantic beach vacation was over." That's a very valid fear. There are plenty of people who might feel that way.

Meanwhile, Joe theorized, "I think the idea of me always scared her." He explained, "We are polar opposites, totally different people. I’m not like anybody she’s ever dated and vice versa. I think she was probably just scared that it was real." It was real. Hopefully it still is real. The viewers are really holding out hope.

Kendall admitted, "I felt an immediate regret as soon as Joe walked away." She didn't have to wait to watch the whole season to question her decision-making. Apparently the regret hit her right away.

Kendall also shared, "On the plane leaving I was like, what the hell did I just do? I wanted to run after him, and I didn’t. And that is something I do regret. But where Joe and I ended on the beach is definitely not the end of our story. There’s a lot that happens on the reunion!" YES. That's exactly what the fans want to hear. Is it time for that reunion episode yet? It cannot air soon enough.

Entertainment Tonight got a glimpse at Tuesday's finale/reunion episode where Kendall goes to Chicago to see Joe. That sounds very promising. They might not have walked out of Paradise as a couple, but they might have become a couple after they walked out of Paradise.