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Derek Really Opened Up On 'The Bachelorette'

Ah, the beginning of The Bachelorette — a time of first impressions, lusty looks, and plenty of competition. Luckily for Derek, he earned one of the first one-on-one dates with JoJo, and boy, was it romantic. The theme of the date was “making choices together,” and Bachelorette JoJo and Derek made their own little adventure in San Francisco. They also opened the ex-files, and Derek expressed his feelings about his ex-girlfriend and some key facts about his last relationship.

Over a romantic dinner, JoJo pressed Derek about his dating history, and Derek told her that he didn’t like to open up to people for that sort of thing. So JoJo got on his level, opening up about her own experiences with Ben and how he told her he loved her and how hurt she was when she got dumped and all that. Derek felt safe after that, and he revealed that the last woman he dated — well, he was ready to put a ring on it. His ex, though, was apparently seeing someone else on the side, and Derek was really crushed. He said that he lies to himself about opening up to others, but he doesn’t think he actually does. Derek is working on himself, and that’s commendable. It was nice that he was able to have an open conversation with JoJo. It was also nice that he didn't seem bitter or angry toward his ex.

So what’s the deal with Derek’s ex-girlfriend? Unfortunately for our prying eyes, I couldn’t find a thing about her on the Internet. I’m not here to condemn the gal — everyone makes mistakes, and the only two people who know what happened are she and Derek. I’m just glad that Derek has taken the next step to heal from his broken heart. Will he marry JoJo? I don’t know, but I know that his coming on the show shows he’s actually ready and open to fall in love.

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Images: Rick Rowell/ABC