Is my boyfriend still in love with me? I'm [F20] and he's [T21].
I'm facing a challenging situation and have been deep in thought about it: I'm a 20-year-old girl, and I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend, who is 21, for about a year and a half. We’ve been living together for around six months, and for the most part, everything has been wonderful. He has shown me love and provided affirmation—although sometimes it felt a bit clingy, with him texting frequently and wanting to stay connected. However, that eventually transitioned to a more balanced level of contact. Recently, though, over the past 2-3 weeks, everything seems to have shifted. He no longer expresses his love or appreciation for me as he used to. He hardly says "I love you" unless I mention it first. I find myself consistently taking the lead when it comes to affection, whether it’s hugging, kissing, or suggesting activities. I also seem to be handling most of the household responsibilities. In his free time, he spends a lot of time playing games or watching YouTube, behavior that he didn’t exhibit before. During a deeper conversation, I learned that he feels lost and is considering starting school again and potentially moving back home to save money and find enjoyable activities. While it’s great that he’s thinking about the future, it worries me that he may not want to live with me, even though he insists he wants to stay together—his financial concerns seem to be weighing him down. I’ve expressed my feelings, and he assures me he wants to be with me and has no intention of breaking up. He also mentioned that I tend to overthink things and that my need for reassurance might be overwhelming. Since he shared this a few days ago, I’ve tried to take a step back. However, when I was away recently, he claimed I didn’t reach out enough, and whenever I’m at a friend's house overnight, he becomes very affectionate, sending me notes and calling me in the evenings. His mixed signals are really affecting me, and while I try not to show it, I feel quite hurt. I love him deeply and can’t imagine my life without him, which makes this situation even more painful. I’m in need of some guidance. What do you think he truly wants? Does he still love me? Does he need more space? Please help! 🙏🏻