All Signs Point To Nicole & Clay Breaking Up On The 'BiP' Finale

It feels like it was only yesterday when Clay scooped up Nicole in his arms and passionately (and rather awkwardly) swung her around at a rodeo fireworks display on Bachelor in Paradise. The pair seemingly had instant chemistry, but as Paradise trudged on in the heat, things haven't been looking good for the duo. At this point, it seems unlikely that their relationship will make it through the finale, which means Clay and Nicole may end up leaving the show as single people.

Clay and Nicole made things official awhile back and even managed to weather the awkward Angela situation with their feelings for one another seemingly firmly intact, leading fans to believe that perhaps they really were going to make it. However, Clay admitted last week that he's not quite as far along in his feelings for Nicole as she is for him, and he seems pretty hesitant to make any real commitment to her.

ABC's press release for the BiP finale, which reveals that one couple will break up after their trip to the fantasy suite proves to be too much for their relationship to handle, doesn't allow for much hope for Clay and Nicole, either. And to make matters even worse, both Clay and Nicole have dropped not-so-subtle hints on social media that they're no longer a couple. In other words, it's safe to assume that they're over.

There were signs, of course, that this was coming. Nicole's attention was briefly swayed by Christian, who she vibed with on a pretty intense level; but after he was kicked out of Paradise for fighting with Jordan, it seemed to be pretty smooth sailing for Clay and Nicole again. That is... until Angela arrived.

Clay having to confront his ex-girlfriend for the first time at Chris and Krystal's wedding after he reportedly dumped her three months earlier was awkward enough, but things got extra rough when Angela actually came to Paradise for another chance at love herself. While she and Nicole cleared the air relatively quickly, it has seemed like Clay has some unresolved feelings about his ex that have prevented him from moving forward with Nicole. He was more perturbed than either woman about the situation.

Whatever's behind Clay's apparent change of heart, it's clear they're not on the same page about their future at this point. Not only did Clay pretty much tell her as much outright, but Nicole reacted to the conversation on Twitter with the classic "I just think it's funny how..." meme, indicating that she felt a bit blindsided by Clay's admission.

While Nicole hasn't dropped any hints about her post-BiP dating life on any of her social accounts, that's not to say she's not currently dating or enjoying life without Clay.

What does seem certain, however, is that she's currently happy to focus on friendship for now. She's become close with her fellow cast members Sydney and Tayshia, with the three regularly going out for drinks and meals together and even throwing sleepovers. Just because Nicole isn't in a relationship doesn't mean she's lacking love. In fact, her life seems pretty full of it at the moment.