Colton Explained Exactly What Went Through His Head During That Shocking 'Bachelor' Twist

ICYMI, Colton Underwood finally jumped over the fence on The Bachelor this week, sending patient fans into a frenzy. The reason behind his dramatic exit was Cassie choosing to send herself home rather than ignoring her uncertainty and committing to a proposal for him. Their goodbye was long-winded, but viewers definitely related to either Cassie or Colton's perspective during the breakup. Although we last saw him on TV running off into the dark night, the Bachelor has now spilled what he can about his jump. Colton's quotes about Cassie explain his reasoning behind the epic leap, but I just want to know even more.

On The Bachelor's March 4 episode, the relationship doubts swimming through Cassie's mind first resurfaced when she and Colton broke down her hometown date from the week before. Cassie learned that her father never gave Colton his blessing to propose to her. Given that Colton has preached the importance of receiving a blessing before engagement all season, Cassie was stunned that the former NFL player seemed unbothered about not having her dad's approval. As Colton explained, he felt so connected to Cassie that he was willing to be with her regardless of what their relationship status was.

Things got even more complicated when Cassie's dad Matt visited her before the night portion of her fantasy suite date. He reiterated his concerns about how conflicted she seemed in regards to getting engaged. According to him, being so hesitant about a marriage proposal wasn't a great sign, so he encouraged her to just be honest with Colton about how she felt.

In the end, Cassie wasn't as concise and vocal about her thoughts as her dad was, but she got her point across. Before reluctantly saying goodbye to her, Colton cryptically promised, "I'm not going to stop fighting for you."

Well, folks, you know it's love when someone's departure drives you away from cameras and over a fence. Now that fans have seen Colton jump the fence, they want him to explain, and the Bachelor has delivered.

"I think making that statement is something I would make in any relationship that I'm in," Colton told Entertainment Tonight about his promise to Cassie. "You have to choose to love somebody, you have to choose to fight for anybody you're in a relationship with. I think that's what love is, and that's what being in a relationship is all about."

He also opened up about how difficult hearing Cassie's rejection was, saying:

There's two other relationships, so I obviously have to [make some] decisions moving forward: Where do I go now? What's going to happen next? And you get those answers... That was what the toughest part was, is I fall back into what I talk about with Becca [Kufrin], and being in a relationship in which the feelings aren't reciprocated at the same level. Not being on the same page is something I was fearful [of], so that was very hard to hear.

ET reported that after Colton jumped the fence, producers had to check back in with their Los Angeles team and even considered calling police to help track him down. As expected, Colton eventually made his way back to the Bachelor crew, but it doesn't look like he'll move past Cassie's absence very quickly. Do you think jumping over the fence back onto hotel property could bring him a new perspective on the situation?

The Bachelor's "Women Tell All" special airs on Tuesday, March 5, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.