Clearing the air! The Bachelorette‘s Dean Unglert knows he shouldn’t have called girlfriend Caelynn Miller-Keyes “suffocating” during a recent episode of his “Help! I Suck at Dating” podcast. “I do regret it,” the former ABC personality exclusively tells Life & Style.

While speaking with cohost and fellow Bachelor Nation member Jared Haibon, Dean, 30, described Caelynn, whom he began dating during season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise, as “the most suffocating” woman he’s ever been with.

“There was a topic in our podcast about someone’s girlfriend who was suffocating and whether or not it was good or bad — and suffocating is definitely a bad adjective to use in any terms whenever you’re talking about the relationship — but in the context of the conversation we were having, they were talking about suffocating, and then, Jared and I were trying to put our own experiences onto being suffocated,” Dean clarified. “You know what I mean? So, that’s why we kept using that word.”

The reality TV star admits “it sounds bad” no matter what the “context” was. However, Caelynn was understanding! “That goes back to me knowing Dean,” The Bachelor alum explains. “He’s like very much a solo guy and likes to be alone. So, I would never take that and be upset by it.”

Dean Unglert ‘Regrets’ Calling Girlfriend Caelynn Miller-Keyes ‘Suffocating’: ‘It Sounds Bad'
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As much as Caelynn “loves to be with him all the time,” she says she realizes “that can be suffocating.”

When it comes to the future, Caelynn and Dean are going with the flow! “We could just stay boyfriend and girlfriend for the rest of our lives and have the happiest coexistence imaginable,” he assures, noting they prefer “breaking the mold” with their “unconventional” relationship.

“We’ll see what happens. We’re only two years in. Give it another 10 [years, and] maybe, we’ll start thinking about it,” Dean adds, before Caelynn addresses their promise rings. “It’s a commitment. We’re very committed to each other, and we don’t necessarily need to be engaged.”

According to Dean, wearing their rings is helpful in public, too! “You don’t want to have to reject anyone at the bar,” he jokes.