[also] getting to know everything about [each other]. We would talk about even the dumbest things, like ‘What’s your favorite gummy worm?’ to these big questions about eternity and where are we going to get married.” For the record, Reilly’s favorite gummy worm is the pink one with the yellow tail. Despite the bond that Reilly felt with Villegas, her family wasn’t all too sure about it at first. “They were SO skeptical. My mom was like, ‘I don’t know what to do. Rachel’s falling in love on TV with this boy. I don’t know if we approve.’” Her mother warmed up to Villegas, however, as the season progressed. “I think she realized how Brendon and my relationship was in the house, and she knew that he would be good for me outside the house.” Villegas and Reilly first bonded over their shared love for science. Reilly has a degree in chemistry, and Villegas is attending school for his doctorate in biomedical physics. For a girl with such a loud personality, it seems disparate to picture her wearing chem goggles. “I am a geeky, nerdy girl. I would rather sit home on a Friday night and play video games than go out to a super big club and go crazy. But I love [clubbing] too. I have so many facets to my personality, and I think that’s what’s really drawn people in. I had so many people change their opinions about me because [on season twelve] they saw this feisty, over-the-top, in-your-face girl, and they were just like ‘Oh my god, she’s evil.’ But then in season thirteen, they got to see the softer side and the geekier side and the goofy, fun side.” Reilly fully embraces the range of her personality, saying, “You can be smart and you can be pretty and you can have fun and do all this other stuff. You don’t have to just be a one-dimensional person.” Her relationship with Villegas also gets goofy. “Brendon’s the dorkiest guy ever. Last night, we were eating out, and he was doing magic tricks!” A typical date night for the pair is usually low-key. “The truth is, we’re such nerds. Our favorite date nights are the ones
that we spend at home hanging out and having a good time.” The couple is also really active. “Brendon and I like to do athletic things, so instead of going on a bunch of dates, we’ll usually try to plan weekend getaways together. We’ll take our dog because we’re obsessed with our dog. He’s our son! We only go places where we can take our dog, like, I’m not even kidding.” Villegas and Reilly’s travels with their Rottweiler, Benz, inspired her project Adventures for Pets. “Brendon and I were in Utah, and we took our dog to Zion National Park. It’s my favorite place in the whole world.” The couple encountered some difficulties, however, with housing Benz. “He’s a big dog. And a lot of places don’t let you take your pets into hotels and restaurants. So Brendon and I are like ‘This is crazy!’ How many people would love to travel with their pets?” Thus, Adventures for Pets was born, showing people the best pet-friendly places to eat and play. Reilly emphasizes the point of their mission: “We thought this was a great way to tell people which hotels are pet-friendly—not just petaccepting, but pet-friendly.” Aside from her travels with Villegas and Benz, Reilly also visits Slater, 27. “My sister lives all over the world because her husband lives in Canada. Well, I say all over the world—she just lives all over North America. We see each other all the time. She’s my best friend.” And because of their close bond, the two would be a powerhouse should they appear on Big Brother together. “How cool would that be?! I would be really, really protective because she’s my little sister. I would just love to do it! If they had an All Stars 2, I would want my sister to be in it with me, for sure. Crossing my fingers! She has a good chance to win America’s Favorite. There [are] only a few HouseGuests who could win America’s Favorite.” I joke that Aaryn Gries, 22, who caused a stir this season with her racist remarks, might be eligible. “Not Aaryn!!” Gries was dropped by her modeling 67