Take boyfriend’s confusion head on

Dear Carolyn: I was thrown/hurt/confused recently when my boyfriend of two years told me he’s never really been in love and isn’t sure what it’s supposed to feel like. He then tried to exempt me, but initially he said it as a blanket response to my asking why he never says, “I love you.” He has said it, but always when I’ve said it first.

We’re actually pretty good otherwise and I’m not looking for a ring. But I’m also not very good at gauging when it’s time to admit this isn’t OK, and it hurts to think about breaking up since I do love him. Any advice? – Confused and Sad

Boom. No wonder you both ran for cover.

As a final response to his confession, though, I don’t recommend the running or the cover.

That’s because the only good outcome for both of you is to get on the right course, be it together tightly, together loosely or heading your separate ways. And the best way to find that right course is to dig out what your boyfriend was trying to say before he lost his nerve.

You know you’re stuck at “pretty good,” or you wouldn’t have pressed him on the “I love you” thing. So, walk toward what scares you and see whether your boyfriend needs a confidant or an out.

Two caveats: 1) His confession could be more manipulation than honesty. I don’t think anyone has to strain to imagine a tortured-looking character saying in a soft voice, eyes on the horizon, “I don’t think I’ve ever loved before. (Shifts gaze to the ground.) I’m not sure what it feels like.”

2) Even if it’s bona fide, it’s not the most promising truth ever shared. The big unflinching discussion could turn out just to be a one-hour postponement of the inevitable breakup.

But it could also plant the seed for the intimacy you’re lacking. And, for what it’s worth, suspecting they left too soon tends to haunt people, where suspecting they stayed too long generally just annoys.