My bf (23M) and I (23F) have been dating officially for 9 months but we have been together for over a year now. I have confessed my love to him and he said he wasn't there yet and so I let it go because it was still only a couple months into our official dating era. I finally brought up the conversation again and asked where he is at and how he was feeling. He said he hasn't felt his feelinga evolve into true romantic love, but that I am a deeply important person to him and that I mean so so much to him. I asked if he felt like he was moving in that direction and he told me that he cannot promise he will ever love me but there ia not a garuntee that he won't at some point. He said he is concerned because we have been together so long and he still doesn't feel what he thinks he should (his definition is that I become a pillar in his life and there is zero question that his life moves on without me in it. That is what it takes for him to say I love you back). I am heartbroken because now I am expecting that we will probably break up at some point. I really want to marry this man and I even have started wanting kids when I have never before. We have decided to stay together for the time being, but I don't know what to do. I can't imagine my life without him in it. I am just so confused because we spend 85% of our time together and he says that I am special and appreciates that we can talk real and have honest and open communication because he has never had that before. The idea of breaking up made him want to vomit and almost have a panic attack. I just am so distraught and don't know what to do. He is the sweetest, smartest, funniest person I know and he treats me perfectly. I don't know what I would do without him.
Any advice on the situation? Should we stay together?