Shawn and Kaitlyn take a step back on 'The Bachelorette'

NEW YORK -- This week picked up with Shawn asking Kaitlyn if she loved him. She defused the situation with Shawn by saying that she was, "falling in love" with him. That's not exactly the same as being "in love" with someone apparently in "Bachelorette" world. He told her that he wasn't sure he could "do this" and she said it was hard on her too and then they kissed. Kaitlyn cried in an interview saying how guilty she felt that she had been intimate with Nick, because she is having a lot of feelings for Shawn, and others, and she feels awful.

The next morning, Kaitlyn went on her two-on-one date with Joe and J.J. They started off by taking boat ride to Ireland's Eye, an island. Kaitlyn said her decision is very important that day because J.J. has a 3-year-old daughter at home and she doesn't want to waste his time, so she needs to see where her feelings are at. J.J. started off by saying he was "falling" for her in front of Joe.

Joe got his chance to walk around and talk with Kaitlyn first. They sat on the beach and talked about the group date back in San Antonio. He told her that it was the "icing on the cake" for him. He said that when he kissed her, he knew she could feel the passion and it's the most passionate he's felt about someone this fast before. He's so sweet! He sealed the deal by saying that he was "falling in love" with her, and they kissed. I just really want to change his hair.

J.J. was up next. He took Kaitlyn to sit in the grass. He told her that three years ago, he cheated on his wife. He said he made a dumb mistake that destroyed his life. He lost his wife and his daughter half the time. J.J. said the reason he wanted to tell her that is he didn't want to be there for just "one more rose" he wants a real relationship that's based on trust. She told him that's her biggest fear in the relationship, but she also thinks he probably wouldn't do it again because that situation must have been hell for him.

Let's weigh those two conversations, J.J. told her he's a cheater, while Joe told her that he's falling in love with her and said a bunch of reassuring things. It was so awkward! She told J.J. he needed to go home to his daughter, but she didn't give Joe the rose right away. She told him she needed more time with him. She went for a talk inside with Joe and she complimented how patient he is and she gave him the rose.

Meantime, Shawn is driving himself literally crazy. The poor guy says he can't even eat. He's so upset watching Kaitlyn go out on other dates and seeing her kiss other guys. He said he would rather have not known what she was feeling back on their one-on-one date when she told him that he was the one. Now it has just made everything impossible for him to deal with. He said he's going to talk to her honestly and put all of his cards on the table.

Kaitlyn was so tired after the whole two-on-one date and as she was doing her interview with the producers, they told her Shawn was coming find her yet. Kaitlyn was crying before he even got in the room, but she told him to sit down anyway. She told him that their conversation the other night killed her and she couldn't sleep. He was just there to talk about them and not about what happened with Nick because clearly he doesn't really know. She told him that she has been so reassuring to him and not to the other guys, yet there he is needing reassurance while the other guys are thinking positive. She told him that he has to just let the process happen and that this is just "weeks in forever".

Poor Shawn was biting his nails and she told him this stuff makes her question things. He told her he knows that everything is worth it and he wants her more than anything. She said, "I hope so." She sent him away without telling him what had happened with Nick. Will she ever?

It was at last time for another rose ceremony. Nick, Jared, and Joe all have roses so far. She went off to talk with Ben Z. while the other guys tried to figure out what Kaitlyn meant when she told the guys she wasn't perfect and had "made mistakes". Shawn knows that she was talking about him, but he doesn't know if she meant a mistake to tell him how she felt in that moment, or if it was a mistake to talk to him off-camera. But, Ben Z. took that time to kiss her face off. She said that her heart is still open and she's falling in love with people other than Shawn.

Ben H. is extremely handsome, sweet and funny and Kaitlyn recognizes all of those things. He told her that he needed to talk to her. He called her out on telling Shawn "something" that reassured his feelings. He told her that he wanted to know if he was going to stay, he wanted to not be spinning his wheels. She told him no you wouldn't be spinning your wheels, and she said that she felt bad that she went there to talk to the two of them off camera. She said she felt awful that she put them both in that situation.

Nick was very nervous about where Kaitlyn's head was at that night. She told him that everything was perfect between them; but that she's really nervous he's going to talk about it with other people. She thinks some people might be on to them. He said that he told the guys that they had kissed and that was pretty much it. He said he would have a problem with it if people were saying he said other things. Nick started to freak out and cry! He said that he had a hard time last time and now this time it's difficult too. Nick said that he remembers being overconfident last time and he doesn't want to be. He told her they want the same thing and when it's over he wants it to be them for the rest of their lives. Then they did some passionate kissing.

Shawn told Kaitlyn he got into his own head and he was sorry. She told him she regretted sneaking down there and telling him that he was the one. She said she just wanted to make him feel better because he was so upset, but she's to blame. He said, "I don't think you're to blame for anything." He said he wished the "bump" in the road never happened. She said she caused unnecessary tension. She told him that they needed to take a step back because other dates and other relationships are going to happen. He said, "I really just think it's a bump in the road." And then his eyes teared up. It was heartbreaking!

Time for roses! Kaitlyn gave her remaining roses to Ben H., Chris, and Shawn. I'm so sad that Ben Z. is leaving! No!!! I'm going to miss seeing him on the show. Tanner also left the show. Shawn said that he is so relieved because, "I love this girl." Ben Z. said he was blindsided and thinks that she's such a great girl and it hurts to have it all ripped away. "This is a girl that my mom would have loved to meet," he added. He will make some woman very happy someday! (Can we start a campaign now for him to be the next "Bachelor"?)

Jared got to go with Kaitlyn on a road trip date to Killarney, Ireland. The rest of the guys had to go on a bus. Kaitlyn drove and she hit the curb quite a few times apparently, don't be too hard on her though! They drive on the other side of the road in Ireland and that can't be easy to get the hang of! She picked Jared because she needed to spend some time with someone lighthearted after all of the drama from the rose ceremony the night before. They made some stops along the way to sightsee and take pictures. Jared and Kaitlyn went to the Blarney castle where the famous Blarney stone is. So they laid back and kissed the stone! After that he dropped Kaitlyn off at her hotel room which was also at another castle. He didn't leave before having some champagne and enjoying some kissing.

The other five guys arrived on the bus and found their hotel. They were just hanging around and talking about how the guys that made it past this week would be getting hometown dates. Chris Harrison showed up to talk to her about the next couple weeks, and Kaitlyn said that she doesn't know if she's messed everything up by telling Ben H. and Shawn reassuring things and even telling Shawn that he was "the one". Chris Harrison told her that people mess up, and you need to try to get these other relationships up to speed. Chris Harrison told her that she's going to narrow it down to three guys this week and they would get off-camera time and fantasy suite time. Then they would all be on a level playing field before she meets the families of the final two. That means she has to send half of the guys home! Kaitlyn admitted that she doesn't know who she wants to keep. Chris Harrison suggested she not waste any more time. He told her that if a guy isn't the one, send him home.

Then, Chris Harrison went over to tell the guys the news that they would be getting their group cut in half. He left the date card for them which read, "Chris, Let's take our love to the edge." Chris met up with Kaitlyn at her castle and a helicopter showed up to whisk them away to the countryside. They went to the Cliffs of Moher. They got out of the helicopter and sat down to a picnic at the edge of one of the amazingly scenic cliffs. Chris told her that he loves living in Nashville because it's a great place to raise kids, but he also loves going on adventures and thinks they could be great together. He asked her how she was doing and she admitted that she's freaking out and stressing out. She started crying into her scarf and told him that although he meets every check mark on her list, but her heart is elsewhere. She told him that she doesn't want to put him through it if she doesn't fully see it. She wants to, but she just doesn't have those feelings for him. He told her that he wished she could be in his life. He thinks that she doesn't really know what she wants, but added that he'd rather know now than in a year or 20 years that she wasn't that into him. He added, "She deserves a lifetime of happiness, but I'm not sure she's ready to find that yet. Just looking at her, she's a mess. I get it, I'm really scared too." He said, "People are perfectly capable of saying goodbye to me, that's ok." Then he burst into tears and begged himself to get it together. It was so awful! Poor Chris!

Next week, things intensify even more as Kaitlyn plans to tell the guys that things got intimate with Nick. Will some of the guys walk away? We'll have to wait and see!