Free Blind Love by Kishan Paul

people in the state of Colorado.”
    She dropped her head and groaned. “I am such a pervert.”
    He kissed the corner of her mouth. “A sexy pervert with magical hands.”
    At some point, Gabe stopped massaging her aches and wrapped his arms around her. Lauren put her drink down and shifted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. Neither commented on their seating arrangement. Instead, she tried to figure out how to explain Ben.
    “Ben’s always been someone you could count on to play superhero. He’d run into a burning house with no second thought. It’s why he went into law enforcement, and it’s why he married me.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I was naïve and determined to make it on my own, but clueless on how hard it would be. So he swooped in and saved the day by marrying the blind girl.”
    “Feeling a little sorry for ourselves, are we?”
    “Maybe a little.”
    He chuckled.
    “Okay, a lot. When your husband cheats on you, it’s natural to wonder what’s wrong with you. Why you couldn’t satisfy him. The words ‘You’re blind’ in bright flashing letters pops up every time I ask myself the question.”
    He kissed her forehead and held her tight. “You see more than the rest of us do. It’s one of the things I find fascinating about you.”
    “You find me fascinating?”
    Gabe laughed. “Don’t change the subject. I saw the way Ben stared at you today. He looked like a man in pain. He still loves you. He wasn’t playing superhero.”
    Her chest tightened. Did he still love her? “Maybe. But regardless of why he married me, he cheated. It ruined everything.” She got quiet as she remembered the man she once called her husband and the choices he made. It was time to change the subject. “Now your turn.”
    “Oh, really?”
    “Yup. A smart man once told me that when someone opens their mouth and throws up their pitiful life story, you should share some of yours so they don’t feel like shit afterward.”
    Gabe played with a lock of her hair as he chuckled. “Whoever said that is a pathetic bastard.”
    “Yeah, well, pathetic bastard , spill.”
    “All right, what do you want to know?”
    “What happened to Matt?”
    She regretted the question as soon as she felt him stiffen. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to answer. It’s none of my business.”
    When she tried to get up, Gabe pulled her tighter and rested his cheek against hers. “No, it’s okay.”
    She held her breath while he took a deep one.
    “Matt killed himself eight years ago today,” he whispered.
    She swallowed the gasp threatening to escape. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his and squeezed. This was about him and his pain, not how it impacted her.
    “Since our dad died, he’d been my responsibility. I did the best I could. But obviously it wasn’t good enough.” Gabe’s voice cracked.
    “You don’t have to…”
    “No, it’s fine. I made you talk. Now it’s my turn.”
    Lauren sat as silent as possible and listened.
    “There wasn’t much of a future for either of us in Tyler. So a few days after high school graduation, I joined the Marine Corps. He was twelve, and since my mom was home and sober most of the time, I figured it was time to do something with my life. Be someone. Four years later, I came back home with money and a plan on how to fix things. But Matt wasn’t at the airport to pick me up. When I got to the house, I found him dead in his bedroom.”
    A tear fell from her eye. Oblivious, Gabe continued his story. “He shot himself an hour before my plane landed. I’d always been there to clean up his messes before, and he knew I’d do it then too.”
    He seemed almost in a trance. She rubbed his arms, encouraging him on. “And so I did. I stayed in Tyler for a few months. Fixed his mistakes before re-enlisting for another eight years.”
    “And your mom?”
    “Still there. She calls sometimes. I don’t answer. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have anything