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Love is no longer blind for Kyle Abrams and Deepti Vempati. Following months of speculation, the pair finally confirmed on-camera that they are dating during the season 2 premiere of Love Is Blind: After the Altar, which aired on Sept. 16. In an emotional scene, Kyle, 30, told Deepti, 31, “I want to just start a relationship, like a legitimate relationship, with you.” He told her that he wanted it to be “exclusive” and not “just like, in limbo.” As they gazed at each other on the balcony, Deepti asked him, “We’re going to actually try this?” Kyle responded, “Yeah, sure. I want to.”
As fans of the hit Netflix show know, sparks were in the air during season 1, but neither of the acted on it. During the Love Is Blind reunion in March, Kyle told show hosts Nick, 48, and Vanessa Lachey, 41, that he wished he would have gone after what he wanted sooner. “I should have tried harder for her. I love her so much, she’s the best,” he said. “And I wish I saw what was right in front of me and that’s my biggest regret. I’m sorry.” It was not one-sided, however. In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Deepti said that she, too, had strong feelings for Kyle.
So, what made him change his mind this season? Kyle spoke to People about why he decided to ask Deepti to be in an exclusive relationship. “I put so much pressure on myself because I was like, ‘I don’t want this to fail’. I was hesitant to jump in for that reason because she was my best friend,” he told the outlet. “And if it doesn’t work out, you kind of lose the friendship. Because if you break up for whatever reason — and I wasn’t planning to break up — but you always have to think about what happens after.”
He said that he was aware of some potential issues that could arise when dating a best friend. “I’ve been in that situation where you start dating your best friend and then you break up. You can’t really see that person anymore because it’s not fair to your future person,” he told People. “I wouldn’t want my current girlfriend to be hanging out with her ex-boyfriend. It’s not cool. I don’t think anyone would like that.”