Ben Higgins is opening up about an important milestone in his relationship with fiancée Jessica Clarke.
Though the pair have hit many benchmarks in their relationship, like getting engaged and meeting the parents, they have yet to cross one major item off the metaphorical to-do list: Doing the deed, for lack of better words.
As Ben revealed in an interview with Nick Viall for Viall Files, the former Bachelor shared that he and his girlfriend of over a year are waiting to have sex until after they've walked down the aisle and said 'I Do.'
The topic of his sex life came up when he and Nick were discussing his current living situation, since Ben is staying with her family during the quarantine. One thing led to another and Nick and his producer asked if he and Jess were "fornicating" at all or if they were waiting till after their wedding.
To which he responded, "Yeah, we are."
He also added that he has "definitely" not had sex this "week and not in the last year and a half."
Ben and Jess have been able to avoid the temptation because they've been doing long-distance for a majority of their relationship. And since they're staying at her parent's house in separate rooms, the idea of having sex right now isn't even a thought in Ben's mind. He said, "It's just a respect level and also what the logistics of it is."
That being said, he and Jessica are not sure when they will be able to exchange vows given the current world events. He revealed they were even considering eloping but changed their minds when they realized what they'd be missing out on. "We both were like, ‘Yeah, we could definitely see it.' But what are we giving up to do that?" The 31-year-old shared, "At the end of all of this, this is Jess' day. This is our day as a couple, but I want to make sure she has the wedding she's always dreamed of and that she feels celebrated."
Unfortunately, he shared his concern that the coronavirus of it all could be detracting from the idyllic engagement they hoped to have. Ben revealed he's worried she may not "feel as celebrated as I know people feel for her," since they got engaged in the midst of the pandemic.
The one silver lining in this situation is that they're closer than ever. From the moment they started dating, they did things "from a distance," as Ben put it, but now that they've been together consistently for the last few weeks, he said, "I can confidently look her in the eyes and say, ‘Hey, we've been stuck in the house together for two weeks and I'm having a blast.'"