Even in her first few days in the groups, Brittany was sure of one thing: “I knew it was Leo.” Even though she was intrigued by both Bohdan and Stephen, there was something that made her calm Agree to return to the art dealer.

“I’m either attracted to the craziest rock star types or the cleanest businessman types – and there’s nothing in between,” Brittany tells Tudum. Leo, of course, fell into the latter category. “The energy just changed when I went on a date with him,” she adds. “It immediately felt very calming to me.”

“Brittany to me was like opposites attracting,” Leo says of his first impression. On every other date, he diligently took notes to keep track of various conversations, but Brittany questioned his “meticulous Type-A” approach to dating. “She asked, ‘Should we just throw (the notebooks) away?’ We did it and in that moment I felt this relaxation. “It was just super easy between us.” And even though the two came from completely different worlds, they had a lot more in common than either of them ever expected. “A lot of the same things happened to us as we were only children and both of our mothers died of cancer,” says Leo. “But we were also very careful not to create a traumatic bond. A lot of sad things have happened to us, but that won’t be (our) foundation.” Brittany was surprised at how quickly she opened up in their conversations. “We spoke on a deeper level than I have with any other man,” she remembers. “That’s my favorite quality (about him). It just wasn’t about the superficial things.”

Love is blind Season 7 Pod Moments That Stole Our HeartsGet ready for an emotional roller coaster ride!

But Leo also sought a relationship with Hannah, who he truly believed was his “twin flame.” Leo was torn between two very different women and struggled to make a decision until the final days of the pods. “Hannah felt like the girl version of me,” he says. “We hit it off and I felt like I could complete her sentences.” But unlike his conversations with Brittany, his dates with Hannah felt comparatively superficial. “We had so much fun together, but we never really got into any depth,” he says. “I have never been so torn about a decision in my life.”

Heading into an explosive date with Hannah, Leo was determined to let down his walls. “I was willing to be vulnerable,” he says. So when Hannah let him know that she had already gotten involved with her other connection, Nick D., emotions ran high. “I was completely dissatisfied and that contributed a lot to my reaction,” admits Leo. “That’s where a lot of the anger came from. If you’re not very vulnerable and things don’t go your way, you don’t necessarily behave in the most mature way.”

All the back and forth was hardly Brittany’s idea of ​​her ideal courtship. “I was surprised that he had another connection because I had such strong feelings,” she remembers. “When I found out he asked us both our ring sizes, I was just amazed.” But Leo moved on when he and Hannah agreed they weren’t the best choice. He declares his love for Brittany in a rhymed marriage proposal poem (“I still remember our first date / We were in 4th place / I love your voice and every word you say / I found my queen from Baltimore”), Leo went above and beyond to make sure hers Trip didn’t go well. It’s not over yet.

“It was difficult,” he says. “There’s no way Brittany wouldn’t feel like a second choice. “I really fought to show that I wanted her.” His advances were convincing enough for Brittany to accept his proposal – with the caveat that she wasn’t ready to say “I love you” back.

And then came the revelation. For Leo it was the chance for a real marriage proposal. But when the doors opened and the couple met for the first time, he sensed something was wrong. “I remember seeing her and she’s super beautiful,” he recalls. “But when she looked at me, I realized I wasn’t quite her type. It’s totally fine, but I could just say it.” However, Brittany claims that Leo’s appearance didn’t bother her at all. “I knew exactly what it would look like,” she says. Instead, she says it was a shift in energy between them that surprised her. “It was the most embarrassing moment of my life,” she says. “I was surprised because I’m very intuitive. I could talk to him behind the wall and make an emotional and intellectual connection, but personally I thought, “Oh, shit. That’s not my husband.’ He proposed (again) and I was like, “That’s not right.” ”

Nevertheless, Brittany accepted Leo’s second proposal because the feelings she had developed for him in the pods – although less romantic than expected – were real. “He was so comforting, especially in this crazy moment,” she says. “We just leaned into each other. But yes, you can’t predict physical chemistry through a wall. That’s just not possible.”

What happened next? Leo knew their reveal hadn’t gone smoothly, but he was confident that they, along with the other couples, would have the opportunity to adjust in Mexico. “I thought I was going. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, I’m a loser for being in a love triangle,'” he says. “I also knew that I liked Brittany more than she liked me, especially with the reveal, so I felt like it would be an opportunity to explore that further.” But after consulting with producers, he was informed that his Love is blind The journey was over. “I felt defeated,” he says. Brittany, meanwhile, knew they wouldn’t be flying to the romantic retreat once the cameras went off. “I just knew right away that we weren’t going to go to Mexico because we were the weakest couple,” she says. “I didn’t process it at first, but then I just cried. It was very overwhelming because I had such strong feelings for him.”

But her story didn’t end there. After the revelation, Brittany and Leo tried to find out if the magic in the capsules was really gone for good. “The first few days were electric,” Leo says of the time he spent with Brittany away from the experiment.

“We still had these long, deep conversations about spirituality,” she remembers. “But at the end of the day (he) was like a friend. We went to bed together and I thought, “There’s nothing here.” ”

At this point, they mutually agreed to go their separate ways after things “got out of hand” between them. But after thoroughly exploring their connection, the two emerged from the experience with no regrets and, unexpectedly, a friendship. “That could have been so bad, but it didn’t happen,” Brittany says, reflecting on how their relationship ended. “I truly believe he is a friend for life.”

As for Leo, the experience – no matter how unconventional, even of Love is blind Standards – was worth the risk. “I had never shown so much emotion in such a short period of time, so it was really scary,” he says. “It also made me hurt, but I realized that it was the only way I could find someone to be with for the rest of my life in the future.”

Curious to see how the other couples fare as the season progresses? Check out our status update every week to see who’s still together and who’s making it to the altar.

Oh, look at these Love is blind Couples meet in person for the first timeWe’re not crying, you’re crying!