Despite their instant connection on Bachelor in Paradise Season 9, Blake Moynes and Jess Girod haven’t been on the same page in recent weeks. Episode 8 brought more trouble to Paradise, and signs suggest Blake and Jess might not be together much longer.

A breakup didn’t appear imminent when the Nov. 16 episode kicked off, though. Feeling “so lucky,” Jess gushed about how Blake makes her feel like she’s “the only girl in the room” and that things are going well for them.

“He would make an amazing boyfriend, an amazing husband,” she said. “I’m just happy that I finally found my person.”

Enter Katie Thurston

After not seeing each other or speaking since their breakup in 2021, Blake and Katie Thurston — aka his ex-fiancée — reunited when the former Bachelorette arrived in Paradise. Describing Katie’s unexpected appearance as his “worst nightmare,” Blake said that there was “not a worse scenario.”

Jess agreed, explaining that her BiP journey had “just gone to sh*t,” knowing she couldn’t compete with Katie, if Blake still had lingering feelings. “If Blake does not want to be in a relationship, if he’s not 100% all in, I’m not sure if I would stick around for him to figure that out,” Jess said.

That seems to be the case. In interviews, Blake continued to express doubts about Jess. Heading into the rose ceremony, he knew that Jess was going to offer him her rose, but they needed to have a “big conversation” before he could “even think about accepting” it.

“I feel like I’ve had a real taste of what love is here, and I feel like we’re not getting there at all,” Blake said of his and Jess’ romance.

A Spoiler Reveals Blake & Jess’ Fate

That conversation will play out in Episode 9 on Nov. 30, but a promo already previewed Jess’ tearful reaction.

Potential spoilers ahead! That’s likely because Blake reportedly self-eliminated before the rose ceremony and left BiP single, according to Reality Steve. Regardless, Blake and Jess appear to be on good terms, considering they still follow each other on Instagram.

The social media platform also reveals clues about their separate lives, post-filming. Jess had several hangouts with BiP co-stars Kat Izzo, Mercedes Northup, and Kylee Russell. About a month after filming wrapped in late June, she cryptically captioned a shot from one of their Miami get-togethers, “[I know] you miss me.”

Blake, for his part, has also been spending time with other Bachelor Nation stars, including when Zac Clark visited him in Canada to get the “hot goss” in July. He also collaborated with Kendall Long and Sam Jeffries on a September conservation trip to Madagascar to bring awareness to endangered Lemur species.

What Went Wrong

Living “such different lives,” as Jess described on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast in early November, likely contributed to a potential breakup. “He travels a lot, and we live in different countries,” she said about her early reservations about Blake. “I think I was just very scared. I didn’t want to leave in a public relationship for it to then not work.”

Jess added she had “a lot of internal doubt,” which freaked her out. “That’s where I went wrong. I probably should’ve communicated that a little bit more,” she said.

Because filming took place within less than a month, the shortened timeline likely didn’t help, either. “I take things very slow in the real world. I don’t just jump into things,” Jess said. “So I was doing exactly what I would do off camera, and that doesn’t translate well when you have a clock ticking.”

Meanwhile, Blake hinted on BiP that Katie’s visit gave him “a lot of realization” about his relationship with Jess. “I spent way less time with Katie but still understood the love that I had for her in that time,” he explained. “And I’ve spent so much more time with Jess and I just should have felt it by now.”

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