Joe Woodbury may not have left the Bachelorette mansion with the woman of his dreams, but he still managed to find his happy ending… with fellow contestant Damien Stone.
WATCH: The Bachelorette Australia 2020 Finale Week Trailer
The 25-year-old labourer and 31-year-old property valuer struck up a special connection while fighting over the affection of Elly Miles. And, judging by their latest Instagram posts, their relationship is likely to go the distance.
On Tuesday, Joe took to the social media platform to share a few aww-inducing snaps of the pair hanging out away from the cameras.
One features the pair embracing, while in another, they’re enjoying a cheeky kiss on the cheek.
“When the NSW & VIC border opens up in 12 days…. Well and truuuuuley due 🍻,” he captioned the gallery.
Damien also gave his best bud a shout out on his own account and screenshot a few of their highlights from the show.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… There are good ships, there are woods ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, and may they always be! 🚢👯♂️” he wrote.
In the comments, Joe responded: “Came for a romance but left with a bromance! Hahah legend mate cannot wait to hear some of your sh*t chat over an almond flat white brother ❤️❤️”
While Damien was sent home back in October, Newcastle-native Joe was brutally dumped by Elly in the season finale in favour of concreter Frazer Neate.
After enjoying a stand-up paddleboarding date in regional New South Wales, Joe seized his opportunity to tell the blonde bombshell that she’d stolen his heart.
“Every time I picture my future, I can’t not see you in it,” he told her. “I picture you becoming a part of my family and me apart of yours. I can’t get you out of my head. I’m falling in love with you I can feel it. And nothing makes me happier than that.”
But despite being “happy” to hear these words come out of Joe’s mouth, the 26-year-old nurse, unfortunately, didn’t feel the same.
“I think about our last date together… hearing you tell me that you’re falling in love with me. And I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel hearing you say those words to me. I just don’t know if I felt the way I was supposed to feel hearing you say that, Joe,” she said.
“I want to feel it in the way that I’m so certain. But I’d be lying to myself and I’d be lying to you if I didn’t come and tell you honestly that my heart is elsewhere.”
Following the heartbreaking moment, Joe took to Instagram to share his two cents on her decision with his 26.6k followers.
“Sometimes things don’t work out, no matter how much we want them to, and that’s just life,” he captioned a gallery of their final moments together.
“I’ve said from the beginning of this whole experience that I’m a firm believer of fate, and that everything happens for a reason, and for me this means that it hasn’t been my fate to find love here.”
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