Oh, Penguin!! Big hugs to you. You remind me so much of myself, down to the self-involved mother and needy brother. Matt & Inky already gave you great advice so I don’t have much to add except to say you might benefit from reading up on codependence. “Codependent No More” is an excellent book on the topic.

You may want to consider the expectations you have for your romantic relationship. Your boyfriend’s negativity and poor conversational skills may turn out to be deal-breakers for you. And that’s ok. If you’re not compatible, it doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. And you’re certainly not responsible for his feelings. I can tell by your words that if it came down to moving on from him, you would do so in a loving and kind manner. That said, be careful about wanting things “exciting and interesting” again. While the initial buzz of a new love is beyond compare, at some point relationships tend to mature into a comfortable, stable arrangement (lower on the “excitement scale”). That’s not to say you won’t experience warm and fuzzy, exciting feelings with a long-term partner, just be careful you’re not “chasing the dragon” to try to recreate that high of a new love.