Dear Laurie:

I think there is a serious miscommunication here.

As far as the way he took his space away from you (temporarily or permanently), people often do that, minimize expected conflict by misrepresenting reality aka lying.

People often do claim, when they break up with another: it is not you, it is me. I am the problem and so, I have to go away to fix myself. And so on.

When you offered to give him space many times before, why did you offer it?

anita