“I need my space.”

What he says: “I need my space.”
What he really means: You’re, um, kind of driving him nuts. Yes, your man feels smothered, but the good news is that it may have absolutely nothing to do with you. “Many men have a fierce independent streak, and when they start to feel that they’re losing their autonomy, they do what any caged animal naturally seeks to do — escape!” says Haltzman. The relationship could be moving too fast emotionally or physically for his taste, or perhaps you’re seeing each other too often, suggests L. Joan Allen, relationship coach and author of Celebrating Single and Getting Love Right: From Stalemate to Soulmate. (In some cases, backpedaling and giving him some space may, in fact, help ease his relationship claustrophobia.)
Sometimes, however, a man feels suffocated even when you’re not coming on too strong. “Being in love is a form of losing control,” explains Haltzman. “If your guy’s not used to it, there’s a good chance that as he starts to get too close, he may feel an instinct to pull away from you.” (So that explains those guys who call you three times a day, drop by every night — then tell you that you’re crowding them!) But this breed of breakup doesn’t always stick, notes Haltzman: “If he’s balking at making a deeper emotional connection, sometimes, a little space will help change his mind.” So if you’re hoping for a reconciliation, your best bet is to simply get on with your life — and let him figure out for himself how lonely his life is going to be without you.