Some young people, perhaps especially those of the male persuasion because of they way they are treated culturally, find it difficult to express and even process emotions, especially ones that make you vulnerable, like love.

Many people find it hard to stand up for themselves and express clearly what they need.

You are both young, and you were both learning how to do these things, as well as a hundred other things we have to learn to have good relationships. Many of us keep learning all our lives. Often it’s easier to learn some of these things by ending a relationship that wasn’t working, than by trying to change a relationship that has already developed a certain way.

Nothing in your story strikes me as you doing something wrong. Your mistakes were natural, your regret is natural, and your sense that he was a good guy at heart but he just couldn’t act it out and actually be good, is probably correct. I don’t think your relationship could have been better, or could have been rescued, if only… whatever.

Why would you need to get over the feeling that he did indeed love you? I think he did, insofar as he could allow himself to. And you loved him, and the good times were great, and the problems were too many to continue the relationship. Nothing went wrong. Everything happened as it was going to happen.

Try to focus on your life as it is now. Learn things, do things, meet people and spend time with them. When the time is right, it will be easy to let go.