Perfect Match‘s Jess Says Harry’s Desire to Change Was ‘Believable’ and She Had ‘No Reason’ to Think Otherwise (Exclusive)

“…there was a lot of promises and commitments that weren’t upheld, but I gave him the kind of grace that I would’ve wanted someone to give to me,” Jessica Vestal tells PEOPLE of Harry Jowsey

Harry Jowsey (left) and Jessica Vestal. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Warning: This story contains spoilers from the Perfect Match season 2 finale.

Jessica Vestal appeared on Perfect Match season 2, where she was matched up with Harry Jowsey for a majority of the episodes.
After a bumpy road together, the two called things off in the finale once Jess learned that Harry had lied to her about flirting and acting inappropriately with their costar, Melinda Melrose, behind her back.
Here, Jess speaks to PEOPLE about her relationship with Harry, why she opted to give him a chance in the beginning and what she’s learned from her time on the show.

Jessica Vestal is getting candid about her breakup with Harry Jowsey and his ultimate betrayal on Perfect Match season 2.

Jess, 29, and Harry, 27, connected early on in season 2 and remained matched up until their split in the finale episode after he admitted to flirting and acting inappropriately with their costar, Melinda Melrose, behind Jess’ back.

Though Jess had hesitations about Harry’s “f— boy” reputation in the beginning, she opted to tune those out and give him a chance. But now, despite realizing everyone might have been right about him, the Love Is Blind alum tells PEOPLE she still stands by her decisions.

“I do think people can change. I don’t know if that was the best example of it, but I do believe that,” she explains. “I feel like at some point, I’d like to think everyone has to grow up. I’d like to think when someone says they want to settle down, and they want to have a family, and they want to get married, that they mean that. So I just took what he said at face value.”

Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey on ‘Perfect Match’.COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Perfect Match‘s Harry Jowsey Sheds Light on His Emotional Breakdown with Jessica and What Fans Didn’t See (Exclusive)

Noting that their relationship “was really beautiful” in its best moments, Jess says Harry seemed to be genuine with his intentions and she had no reason to think otherwise.

“He was very, very good to me until he wasn’t. So I mean, from my experience with him personally, I had no reason to believe that it would’ve turned out any different,” she explains. “It was very believable. I felt like he really did want to change. I feel like he really had — for lack of a better term — learned his lesson, and he wanted something real. And I was like, ‘Okay, well ask and you shall receive.'”

She adds: “So yeah, I mean it did not turn out how we thought it would, and there was a lot of promises and commitments that weren’t upheld, but I gave him the kind of grace that I would’ve wanted someone to give to me.”

Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey on ‘Perfect Match’.COURTESY OF NETFLIX

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During season 2, Harry and Jess faced several obstacles, including Jess’s hesitations about the comments people on the show were making about his reputation and intentions, including one from Harry’s best friend on the show, Dom Gabriel.

As a result, Jess began to wonder if Harry was really being genuine, telling cameras, “Everyone has questioned Harry’s intentions but hearing Harry’s best friend make a comment like that, I’m like, no… that needs further discussion.”

At the time, Harry insisted to PEOPLE that there was more to the situation than what fans saw, saying, “It was tough because I felt like I was there following my heart and trying to be pure and honest and open, and then any moment that someone could, to try and get in Jess’s head or anyone’s head, they would. And I think that’s what really sucked.”

“I think it was tough for Jess to be able to hear everything from these girls who are trying to tear us apart,” he added. “But then most importantly, Dom, who I’m really close with… for him to say that, it’s a little bit tough, but I guess it’s just the nature of the game.”

From left: Kaz Bishop, Stevan Ditter, Harry Jowsey, and Bryton Constantin on ‘Perfect Match’.ANA BLUMENKRON/NETFLIX

In the finale, fans finally got to see the footage of Harry flirting with Melinda — confirming that he had lied about his actions to Jess. By that point, the two had already split, but it was revealed at the end of the episode that they tried dating after the show but broke up shortly after.

Now that they’ve split for good, Jess looks back at her time on the show with a bittersweet attitude.

“I was hoping to go and maybe find love, but I was totally fine if I didn’t… but yeah, it didn’t really go how I thought it would have,” she says. “Sometimes the best lessons are the hardest ones to learn.”

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Perfect Match season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.