I 25 (F) told my boyfriend 29 (M) of 9 months that I loved him and he responded back with “well I like you”

Title kinda says it all.

I had posted a while back about wanting to tell my boyfriend that I loved him but I was afraid of rejection or lack of reciprocation since it’s happened to me before....I guess I was right to have the fear I had.

We talked about it and he said he cared about me and enjoyed being with me but that he’s just trying to take it slow since he’s had to buy and return two engagement rings for girls he was madly in love with before. I get that, I really do, but at what point do you let go of that hurt and enjoy the current relationship? It was over 3/4 years ago that all of this happened. Am I being too insensitive and not understanding his needs or is he holding on to pain and it’s prohibiting our relationship?

Now he tells me that this kind of makes him feel pressured. He talked to his best friend who actually told him that she was in a similar situation where her then boyfriend (now husband) told her he loved her and she wasn’t sure what she felt, but she essentially came around to it and now it’s great.

He tried to explain that I should relax and enjoy the relationship, but I’m also not looking to get hurt. I don’t want to stick around for another year and him tell me he doesn’t love me. He tried to console me by telling me that he’s been head over heels blindly in love with the other girls he’s dated but not me since we were friends first...and that maybe in the long run that’s better since it will be an acquired love rather than blind puppy love. He also told me he hasn’t thought or felt the opposite of love for me...so maybe that’s good?

This is the best and healthiest (to this point) relationship I’ve ever been in. We’ve traveled across the world together and don’t plan on stopping. Were a perfect team and have become best friends and love doing everything together.

I’m just not sure if I should wait for him or if I’m wasting my time. Like we’re good friends and are in a relationship...but is that all it’s ever going to be? Am I being too neurotic about this? Am I moving things too fast?

Tldr; told boyfriend how I felt about him, he doesn’t feel the same...but also doesn’t not feel the same. Am I wasting my time waiting for him?

Submitted June 20, 2019 at 06:13AM by piegatory http://bit.ly/31Penfw