I can't help laughing a little wryly....that awful wait for him to say it! Personally, I believe that if he hasn't said it after 6 months, he's just not that into you. Everyone says love takes time. No, it doesn't. You know when you're in love, you can hardly bear it, and I think the same is true for guys. 2 months max - and if something hasn't been said, he's in serious go slow mode and probably not that into you. He will have said something like "In two years time, we'll go do that" or something indicating he is thinking about the future with you. But if he can't tell you he loves you after 6 months....either serious emotional issues or he doesn't love you. I would say it and see what his reaction is and if it's anything other than relief and "I love you too" head for the hills and find someone else who gets your particular brand of awesome.

Thank you for answering my question, MM! The thing is, we've both never been in serious relationships before, nor have we ever said that we loved anyone else before. We've met each other's parents, often hang out with each other's friends, and really do trust and care for each other. The timing is not the best because we both have a lot on our plates (he is getting a grad/undergrad degree and working and I am working as well) and are only able to see each other once a week, if we're lucky. It has pretty much been that way for six months. And a male friend of mine told me that a lot of men are scared to say the L word because it means that their lady will expect too much of them, like talk of marriage, children, etc, early in the relationship, and make things complicated. I guess what it comes down to is that some people are ready to handle their feelings and go forward and some aren't ready to take that step due to other distractions like family, work and school. And hopefully when we finally get to spend more time together I won't be overthinking this.

Thank you for answering my question, MM! The thing is, my boyfriend and I have only been able to see each other once a week if we we're lucky due to our demanding schedules. He's still in college getting an undergrad and grad degree, as well as working once a week in a area far from us, and I'm working five days a week. It has been this way since we met. We also have never been in serious relationships before, and we have never told anyone else that we loved them. We have fun, we trust each other, talk about all kinds of things (not necessarily the future because when you're in school for another few years you don't always know), have met each other's families, hang out with our friends, and care a lot about one another. He's also told me that he's never been closer to anyone else, and that he's scared to say he loves me because he's scared of hurting me. This is without me having pressured him or asked him about it. A male friend of mine told me that guys are often hesitant about telling their women that they love them because they fear expectations will arise too soon, such as talk of marriage, children, etc.

Sorry for the two different posts! I didn't think it worked the first time.

Hmmmmm ok well after you elaborated, it does change things...If you're only seeing him once a week it is going to slow down the developement of intimacy. And is he is doing an undergrad, the fact that he has time for you at all is amazing! I think you're right, he's probably stressed and most guys are worried about the responsibility of uttering those words. This is a very specific set of circumstances, and it looks like you got a good thing going, so be patient and see what happens when your both on holiday or can spend more time together, things should progress.

I am in a similar situation. 6 months in - no "i love you" yet. I think it really comes down to the kind of guy he is and your relationship. It seems like you really like each other - as seen by meeting parents, friends, etc. But this time in a persons life with school and work can be difficult to navigate. He probably has a ton on his plate and hasn't actually slowed down to think "how do I really feel about this girl"

A friend of mine told me that, unlike girls, guys will have a moment where something changes. One moment, he is just hanging out with a girl. The next, he realized, like an epiphany, he loves her. Who knows if this is accurate.

I think these are your options (1) say I love you and see what happens (2) wait until he says it.
I think it is important to put a time limit on this. Personally, with the guy I am seeing, he hasn't said "i love you" but isn't generally very verbal with his affection. He shows it with his actions - nice dinners, taking care of me when I'm sick, surprises, etc - so I am going to give him a year to say it.

What is your time limit? Think about that... Hope this helped :)

Well, actually, he broke up with me the other day. I didn't tell him I loved him or anything, but for the last month since he started school, he had become so wrapped up in work and everything that it changed him. He blatantly told me over the phone that he didn't love me, he didn't want a long term "thing", and that his feelings for me just faded inexplicably.

I really thought he liked me too. You would think. In all honestly, though, it's for the better. I shouldn't have to wonder whether or not a guy who is dating me for that amount of time loves me and what his intentions are. Your advice (all of you) was fantastic, and now I know what to look for when I move on to the next guy.

Beck, how often does he call or text you? Because that makes a big difference. I was usually the first to initiate contact, and even though he always answered, I wanted him to call way more often than he did. It's usually a telltale sign that something is sketchy if he's not paying enough attention to you.