One of the biggest steps in a relationship is when one person decides to say those three little words: No, not “I got food,” the other important words.
Saying “I love you” catapults your relationship into a new level. No longer are you only “in a relationship,” but now you’re in love. Those words hold a severity that can put a lot of pressure on the parties involved.
Once you reach the point where the L-word starts creeping into your mind, there’s a million new things that you start to stress over:
Should I say it first? Why hasn’t he said it? How do I know if he feels the same way?
If your boyfriend hasn’t dropped the L-bomb yet, though it can be tempting to start questioning the sincerity of your relationship, don’t start to worry quite yet. Words are just that—words. They are meaningless if they’re not reinforced through your significant other’s actions.
Even if he hasn’t said that he loves you, there are many different ways he could be showing his love for you—you just have to pay attention.
Here are a few signs that your boyfriend does love you, he just hasn’t told you yet.
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Asking About Your Day
It may seem like common sense, but when someone loves you, they care about your well-being. If your boyfriend, completely unprompted, takes the time to ask you about your day, that’s a good indication that he cares about you.
But not just that.
It’s important that you distinguish between him asking for the sake of conversation and him asking because he genuinely wants to hear the response. If your boyfriend is really falling in love with you, he will listen as you complain about what your coworker said at work, or that project that you need to finish, or what drama is happening between your girlfriends this week.
Maybe he’s not saying “I love you,” but he is saying: I’m invested in this conversation and I’m invested in this relationship. I’m here for the long haul.
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Remembering the Little Things
You most likely spend a lot of time talking to your significant other, and, in that time, you share a plethora of details: your favorite ice cream flavor, what you’re looking forward to, what your scared of, etc. You may think all that information goes in one ear and out the other, but your boyfriend remembering all the quirky little things about you is a sure sign that he’s feeling the love.
Maybe he calls you right after your big meeting because he remembered the time and that you were anxious about it. Maybe he instinctively grabs your hand during the part of a movie that he knows scared you. It could be as simple as him sending you a picture of something that he knew would make you laugh.
As cliché as it sounds, it’s the little things that count the most.
Maybe he’s not saying “I love you,” but he is saying: I’m paying attention to you and what makes you happy.
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Making Sure You Get Home Safe
Like I said earlier, if he loves you, he cares about your well-being. This means making sure that you are always safe and taken care of.
Just a simple text of “let me know when you get home,” or “did you get home safe?” is a small gesture of love. Your boyfriend can’t always be with you, so taking the time to check in on you shows how much effort he’s putting into your relationship and how much he cares about you.
Similarly, if he checks in to ask if you’ve eaten or if you’ve taken your medicine, he’s making an effort to take care of you.
Maybe he’s not saying “I love you,” but he is saying: I worry about you and want to make sure you’re safe.
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Letting You into His Life
While him listening to you talk about your day can be a sign of his love, telling you about his day can also be a big indicator. If he calls you just to unload some stress from work or tell you a joke he overheard, he’s opening up his life to you and he wants you to be a part of it.
Maybe he lets you in on secrets or starts to open up about his family. Whenever he allows himself to be vulnerable or to let down some of his defenses, he’s showing you that you’re the person he can be himself around.
Maybe he’s not saying “I love you,” but he is saying: I trust you and feel comfortable enough to tell you anything.
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Introducing You to His Friends and Family
To me, this is one of the surest signs that he’s falling in love. This is a huge step in merging your lives together and it can, sometimes, be a make-or-break moment.
If he proudly introduces you to his friends and family, he wants everyone he’s closest to to care about you as much as he does. Put simply, he sees a future with you. If a guy is still unsure of his feelings, he’ll try to keep your relationship quiet. Telling everyone he knows is a big commitment; if you break up, that’s a lot of people who are going to have questions.
Maybe he’s not saying “I love you,” but he is saying: I’m proud that you’re mine and I want everyone to know it.
