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

Warning: This story contains spoilers from A perfect match season 2 finale.

• Jessica Vestal appeared on A perfect match season 2, where she was paired with Harry Jowsey for most episodes.
• After a bumpy road together, the two broke things off in the finale after Jess found out that Harry lied to her about flirting and inappropriate behavior with their co-star, Melinda Melrose, behind her back.
• Here, Jess talks to PEOPLE about her relationship with Harry, why she decided to give him a chance in the beginning, and what she’s learned during her time on the show.

Jessica Vestal gets candid about her breakup with Harry Jowsey and his ultimate betrayal on A perfect match season 2

Jess, 29, and Harry, 27, linked up early in Season 2 and remained together until their split in the final episode after he admitted to flirting and acting inappropriately with their co-star, Melinda Melrose, behind Jess’ back.

Although Jess initially had her doubts about Harry’s reputation as a “is— boy”, she decided to rule it out and give him a chance. But now, despite the realization that everyone might have been right about him, Love is blind alum tells PEOPLE that she still stands by her decisions.

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

Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey in ‘Perfect Match’.

Courtesy of Netflix

A perfect matchHarry Jowsey sheds light on his emotional breakdown with Jessica and what fans didn’t see (Exclusive)

Noting that their relationship “was really beautiful” at the best of times, Jess says Harry seemed sincere in 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 personal experience with him, I had no reason to believe it would have turned out any other way,” she explains. “It was very believable. I felt like he really wanted to change. I feel like he really — for lack of a better term — learned his lesson, and he wanted something real. And I said, ‘Okay, well, ask and you shall receive.’ ”

She adds, “Yeah, I think it didn’t turn out the way we thought it would, and there were a lot of promises and commitments that weren’t kept, but I gave him the grace to want to give someone to me.”

Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey in ‘Perfect Match’.

Courtesy of Netflix

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

As a result, Jess began to question whether Harry was really being honest, telling the cameras, “Everyone was questioning Harry’s intentions, but hearing Harry’s best friend make a comment like that, I think, no… it needs further discussion.”

At the time, Harry insisted to PEOPLE that there was more to the situation than fans were seeing, saying, “It was hard because I felt like I was following my heart and trying to be clean and honest and open, and then at any moment someone could , to try to get into Jess’s head or anybody’s head, and I think that’s what’s really bullshit.”

“I think it was hard for Jess to hear all these girls trying to break us up,” he added. “But most importantly, Dom, who I’m very close to … for him to say that, it’s a little hard, but I guess that’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 footage of Harry flirting with Melinda – confirming that he lied to Jess about his actions. By this point, the two had already broken up, but it was revealed at the end of the episode that they tried dating after the series, but soon broke up.

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

“I was hoping to go away and maybe find love, but it would have been perfectly fine if I hadn’t… but yeah, it didn’t quite work out the way I thought it would,” she says. “Sometimes the best lessons are the hardest to learn.”

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A perfect match season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

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Source: HIS Education