Fans Think Ben Will Return To 'The Bachelorette' Because Of This 1 Detail

If you're still reeling over the hometown dates episode, then you'll want to hear this theory about Ben Smith returning to The Bachelorette. During the Dec. 15 episode, Smith told just about everyone he's in love with Tayshia Adams — except for Adams herself. When the moment came to finally open up to Adams, Smith froze, and he later confessed, "I'm in love with her. I should have told her. I'm terrified I won't get to tell her how I feel." That's exactly what happened, as Smith was sent packing and never got his chance... though there may be a chance he came back.

On Dec. 14, ABC aired a promo showing what fans can expect to happen in Season 16's final episodes, and one scene in particular has Bachelor Nation feeling hopeful. If you skip ahead to 1:06, you'll see Smith saying, "I think I'm in love with you," which is a scene fans def haven't seen yet. He also appears to be wearing a different shirt than he wore during the hometown dates episode, so there's a possibility he decided to come back and finally tell Adams how he feels. There's also a moment at 1:21 that also supports the theory where Adams says, "There's a Rose Ceremony. What do I do with that?" IMO, if Bennett Jordan can come back and confess his love, so can Smith!

Even after Smith failed to express himself on his final date with Adams and was sent home, he still couldn't open up to her when he got one last chance. "I'm not asking for this grand gesture, but the fact that he couldn't give me one ounce of emotion was extremely disappointing," Adams said of the moment. "There was no emotion at all. He wasn't angry, he wasn't mad, he wasn't sad. It kind of felt empty, and I just felt like, 'Please make me feel like these past few weeks meant anything to you.'" She even said she had considered Smith "someone [she] could end up with at the end of this."

Of course, Adams had no idea that — as Smith was driven away in the limo — he was talking about how he saw himself marrying her and having children together. "I should have told her how I felt when I had the chance," he said.

Only time will tell whether Smith does actually get another chance!