Guys can be hard to read! It’s confusing that he hasn’t responded to that email, and has responded to others, but long distance can be really tough. When you guys aren’t talking face to face regularly, miscommunication is really common. He might not be ready to say that he loves you back, which is totally okay because everyone is ready at different times, or he may not want to say it over email. Regardless, to understand what’s going on inside his head, it’s best that you guys try to talk on the phone or on FaceTime, so it’s easier for you to explain where you’re coming from. If he’s not ready to say it back, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like you or that your relationship isn’t going anywhere—it’s a big step, and it’s really important that you both be comfortable before you say the words!

It might be a misunderstanding, or there might be something else going on, but the best way to get to the bottom of it is to talk to your boyfriend. It’s not fair to let yourself get worked up over wondering! You’ve already asked him about cheating, and he denied it, but talking about that other girl invites some (understandable) tension into your relationship. Try to call or Skype with him if you can, just to eliminate the possibility of a text or email being misread, and ask him where he sees the relationship going instead of accusing him of cheating. Having an honest conversation about what you both expect out of the relationship will probably give you the clarity that you need to have peace of mind! Remember, long distance is really hard, and if it’s putting too much of a strain on you, you have to make a decision that’s healthiest for you.

Honesty is the best policy when you’re in a situation like this! You don’t have to bring it up unless he does, but nicely saying that you see him as more of a friend is perfectly fine. The best thing that you can do if he does say that he likes you is to just explain that you’re more comfortable remaining friends instead of making up excuses. It makes more sense to focus on staying friends than getting caught in a lie! Being direct might feel a little bit awkward, but it can cause fewer hurt feelings in the long term than a lie will.

Long distance is really tough! When you’re not seeing each other in person, it’s much easier for small things to blossom into fights or for misunderstandings to fuel arguments. If you guys aren’t fighting in person, it might be because of the distance between you, but it’s still important to try to get to the root of what going on. Are you guys really missing each other? Is being apart putting a lot of stress on you? The best thing that you can do is talk it out and try to get to the bottom of what’s causing the fights. That way, the next time that you can feel a fight starting, you can try to avoid it by opening the lines of communication. As cheesy as it sounds, just explaining how you feel when your boyfriend does a particular thing and being willing to let him say the same to you is the best way to figure out how to make your relationship stronger.

If you’re nervous because your partner is more experienced, that’s totally normal, but it’s important that you know that someone who cares about you should care about moving at your pace. Plus, if you’re with someone who really cares about you, you’re not going to disappoint! Sex is a big step to take, and whoever you’re with should respect that, and realize that it means a lot that you’re willing to take it with them. Sex shouldn’t be scary, and if you’re feeling really nervous or pressured by your partner, please reach out to a trusted adult who can help you figure out what to do next. You’re never under any obligation to have sex if you’re not comfortable, and plenty of relationships are really awesome without sex! It’s more important that you wait until you’re completely comfortable and that your partner respects that.

If you do decide that you’re ready for sex, it’s super important that you use protection, whether that’s a condom or a hormonal form of birth control, like the pill or the patch. Plus, protection can go a long way toward making you feel more comfortable about sex! To see all of the options available to you, check out our Birth Control Explorer.

That’s so frustrating! It’s so confusing to get into a relationship and have communication taper off like that. There’s a variety of reasons that he might be texting you less: he’s nervous, he’s busy, he doesn’t think he has to try as hard since you’re officially dating, but whatever the reason, the only way that you’ll know for sure is if you ask him. If you have deep feelings for him, it’s worth it to try to work things out. Try having a conversation about what you both expect out of the relationship! If you can see where he’s coming from, it might help you to understand why he’s texting less. Your friend gave you some good advice— if you really like this guy, you shouldn’t just give up on the relationship, but nothing is going to change unless you guys talk about what’s bothering you!

Wow, a year is a long time to be apart! It’s awesome to hear that you’re being cautious about sex, especially since being together again after a year away from each other could make it really tempting to rush into physical stuff. Having open communication with your partner is really important so that you’re both on the same page about what your expectations are for the relationship. It might feel a little awkward to bring it up, but it’s an important conversation to have before you jump back into being together. The issues that you’re bringing up are important questions to ask, and it’s best to just be honest with your boyfriend that you have a few things that you want to clear up before you get physical. Hopefully, this opens the lines of communication between you two, so that you can have an honest conversation about what you want to get out of the relationship and where you see it going! That way, you can come to a mutual understanding, which can go a long way toward making you comfortable! Also, there’s no problem in deciding that you’re not ready for sex yet—plenty of relationship are awesome even without sex, and it’s vital that you’re completely comfortable before taking that step. Long distance can put a lot of pressure on the physical part of a relationship when you guys do get to see each other, but the most important thing is that you’re comfortable and ready.

If you decide that you are comfortable enough to have sex, it’s super important that you use protection. To see all of the options available to you, check out our Birth Control Explorer.

There’s no problem in not wanting to jump into having sex right away—it’s really important to wait until you’re totally ready and comfortable. That means different things to everyone, but if going slowly and starting with a kiss is what would make you more comfortable, it’s important that you tell your boyfriend that. It’s important that you both are on the same page about what you expect from the relationship. It might feel a little bit awkward to bring up, but just tell him that you do have strong feelings for him, and do want to do physical things with him, but need to go at your own pace. Your boyfriend should respect your feelings and be concerned about making sure that you’re comfortable! Opening the lines of communication and being honest with each other is essential to making a relationship work, so even if you feel a little weird bringing it up, it’s important that you let him know how you feel!

If you do decide that you’re both ready for sex, it’s really important that you use protection! To check out what options are available to you, take a look at our Birth Control Explorer, or have a conversation with your doctor.

College is a huge transition, and it’s possible that he’s overwhelmed by orientation, new classes, and dorm life! The best way to figure out what’s going on with him is to reach out! See if you can set up a time to call or Skype with him so that you guys can talk face to face. Open communication is important in any relationship, but especially in long distance relationships, because being away from one another can cause serious strain on your relationship. If he is feeling overwhelmed and busy, maybe you guys can set up certain times to talk, that way there’s less pressure on talking all the time. If this is the first time that you two have been on really different schedules, it can be difficult to adjust and it might take some time before you get into a pattern that works for both of you. Being honest with each other is really important to make sure you both are happy and comfortable with how you’re keeping in touch while you’re apart.

First of all, kudos for you for not rushing into sex if you knew that you weren’t ready! It’s a big step, and it sounds like you’re being really responsible. Second, if you haven’t talked to him about this, it’s important that you do, because that’s the only way to know what’s going on inside his head. If your boyfriend doesn’t want to stick around because you guys aren’t having sex, then you really deserve better, because a good boyfriend should be respectful of your decision! If you don’t talk to him, then you won’t know where he stands on this—he might be totally okay with waiting until you’re comfortable. It might feel a little awkward to bring up, but it’s important that you’re both on the same page, especially now that you guys are apart, because distance can put strain on a relationship. If you’re still not ready, that’s totally fine! Just let him know what you’re feeling and encourage him to tell you what’s going on in his mind so that neither of you are in the dark about this.

If you guys do decide that you’re ready for sex, it’s really important that you use protection. To see all of the options that are available to you, check out our Birth Control Explorer!