Request for space from my (33F) long-distance boyfriend (38M) longer than usual. Can an actual introverted and/or avoidant person weigh in?

Me and my boyfriend have been together for close to 2 years and have been through a lot to understand each other's temperaments, boundaries, and try to adapt and respect one another.

I have come to respect that talking doesn't come easily for everyone and that him not wanting to talk is not necessarily out of a lack of love or care. And he has been trying to call me back even when he's busy or not in the mood. Safe to say this sometimes goes wrong.

About 10 days ago, he was out and busy. He uses DND with no emergency calls allowed. He recently quit his job and has been trying to get his start up up and running, so he's often networking and it takes a toll on him at times as he likes his space and quiet. Last weekend, I was recently back from visiting family so I was feeling extra isolated and called him several times despite the DND and he was not seeing it. This was after I also tried calling the night before too and he didn't see it but didn't text me anything about it later on. I said you better make it up to me tomorrow. He said "it's been a crazy weekend. I'll call tomorrow".

Tomorrow comes, and he calls. I was not mad or anything but I mentioned that it wasn't nice that he didn't call or text back one night and then was DND the whole day afterwards and it would be nice to offer a quick sorry or at least acknowledge it. He said he was fried from talking and didn't feel like having to talk about it and didn't see a reason to apologize. We left it there to cool.

Next day, I call again, and try to reopen the discussion. He says "you know what, I don't think I'm ready to talk yet". Knowing him, I think he meant it in the sense that I'm in my one of my "I need a break to bounce back" moods rather than being upset. But I said I didn't like that there was some tension and he said something like "So what? Let there be tension, it'll pass". I told him okay, I'll leave it up to you to reach out again but just know this isn't easy for me. He didn't like that and said it sounded like guilt tripping. I explained myself later on in a voice message that I wasn't trying to guilt trip him but only trying to communicate that just like talking isn't easy for him or texting me back to let me know he's super busy isn't as easy as it would be for me, and I try to be understanding or empethatic, that leaving on a tense note to not talk isn't super easy for me either, which is all I meant when I said he should acknowledge that he was on DND all day not that he should be remorseful or that he's wronged me. Just a gesture of care!

He takes his space... and I don't hear back from him until 4 days later when he texts me to say hi and how are you? I was very disappointed and just responses curtly and it ended there with him telling me he's also doing well? I am trying to be understanding of my own boyfriend but 4 days with no contact and no reassuring me and that's the first and last thing you say??

A couple days later he sends me a voice message to let me know he's driving to the city (1.5 hour drive) for a gig he landed and he'll tell me about it. I text back I'm glad and I'm well and hope to hear all about it soon.

And that's it... that's literally it. It's been like 9 days since the last phone call where I said I'll give him his space and that's all of the contact we've had since. Except for yesterday where I sent him a link to a song and he reacted with the grateful emoji.

I feel like regardless of our differences, it is difficult for me not to interpret this negatively. I am trying not to rush into things and still leave it up to him to call me, but I also feel in limbo? He hasn't officially told me he's out of his rut, or that we'd talk? We never go on this long without speaking and it's not like we had a big fight or anything that he'd need this long to process it? It was a minor disagreement so even if he didn't like that I was pushing while he was socially overwhelmed, I feel like it's quite cruel to just leave me hanging with no call for closer to 10 days with 0 reassurance or any sweet words. I am hurt but at the same time I feel like I don't want to reach out because it should come from him. I am not trying to be petty or anything, but if he can't see the issue with this, then what is the point of me trying to explain it? It'll just become a pattern where we only discuss things if I bring them up!

I am in a place of oscillating between hurt and confusion, as well as weird anticipation. I want to talk but I also feel like the right thing to do is not to call given the background of how we got here.

I just wanted the perspective of an actual introverted/avoidant person who can relate to him because it is hard for me to relate to something like this, before I jump to assuming the worst without giving him any grace.

Sorry this was pretty lengthy. Appreciate you for making it here <3