Hannah Explained Why Peter Going Home On 'The Bachelorette' Hurt So Much

Now that the end of The Bachelorette is finally here, it's time for Hannah Brown to make some important choices, and one of those happened on the first part of the finale on Monday night. And according to the leading lady herself, it definitely wasn't easy. In an interview with People, Hannah opened up about sending Peter home, and her explanation for eliminating him after the Fantasy Suite dates only shows how much she really did care for him.

Seeing Hannah and Peter's breakup on the show was hard — both of them cried when she didn't give him a rose, and when they reunited on After The Final Rose, it was obvious that there had been real feelings between them. They were still able to laugh and joke with each other now that they'd had a little time apart since their breakup, but it definitely wasn't easy for either of them.

And now, talking People in an interview that was published on Tuesday, Hannah has said that she loved Peter, but she had to make a decision, and unfortunately, that meant she had to say goodbye to him, despite the feelings she still had for him.

“I was in love with Peter," Hannah told the outlet. “I was pulled into different directions every other day. But I had to make a decision. I felt like my heart was broken.”

The later in the season it's gotten on The Bachelorette, the more confused Hannah seems to be. A big theme of her last dates on Monday night's episode was how she didn't know who she should choose, and now, it seems like she was dealing with the same issue before sending Peter home.

While talking to People, Hannah attributed her confusion to the fact that there had been so much drama going on that she wasn't able to fully give herself over to the process. That definitely makes sense, considering how much time Luke P. took up between his feuds with the other men and the red flags he kept putting up for Hannah.

“All the drama put up barriers for me,” she said. “I really did care for these guys, but were [my feelings] strong enough? It was confusing. I was not where I wanted to be.”

And when it came to letting Peter go, Hannah said that it was an emotional experience for her. “I had fallen in love with Peter. I know it sounds crazy. And [my feelings] really affected me emotionally," she told People, adding, "What I’ll miss most about Peter is his genuine love for me. The time we had together was real.”

Well, it certainly seemed real (windmill activities notwithstanding). He may not have been Hannah's final pick, but Peter remained a gentleman through it all.

Even though their split was tough, seeing their ATFR reunion proved that there are no hard feelings between them, and who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing Pilot Pete as the next star of The Bachelor. He's already amassed a lot of fans this season, after all.