While the city too busy to hate was recovering from being hit by an F2 tornado, I was in the middle of my own storm…of emotions, that is.

After about three months of dating, talking, flirting, kissing (and other things), I dropped a hard ILY on my boyfriend (heretofore known as Che, but will now be known as Gaara) as we lay in bed Saturday night.

Was it too soon?

We talked about it a bit the next morning…and a little that afternoon…and that night.

What happens when you tell someone you've been dating that you love them…and they don't return it?

I should preface this by saying that our relationship is great and stable enough where this won't shake us to our core. And when I dropped it to him, I honestly wasn't expecting a response (mainly because when I've said it in the past to exes, it wasn't returned). My expression wasn't a solicitation, but something I've been thinking about, analyzing, and soul searching about for weeks. I've realized through several relationships that love is more than just one thing and can be expressed in more than one way. But usually when it comes to relationships, that singular phrase…it's killer.

How can you respond to that if you really like the person, but it hasn't matured into love?

"OK." (Lame.)
"Gee…thanks!" (Ehh….)
"Ditto." (That one's for you, babe.)
"I know." (Only if he's Han Solo.)

I sort of awkwardly suggested the phrase "I care deeply about your safety and well-being." Wordy, but it doesn't quite wrap things into that succinct package of l-o-v-e.

So…any suggestions? I really know and feel he's the real deal, but this is a situation in which I need some input.

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