Am I receiving emotional crumbs or is this just her pace? Is it worth continuing?

I’ve been talking to this girl for about 3 months. We’ve had good dates, deep conversations, and overall a healthy, calm dynamic. She’s told me she’s interested, feels comfortable with me, and wouldn’t be seeing me if she didn’t feel good about how things are going.

But emotionally, I don’t feel fully wanted.

I’m someone who feels loved through verbal affection, compliments, physical touch, emotional expressiveness, and feeling genuinely desired. With her, most of that only happens if I initiate it.

She says she loves physical touch, but she never initiates it. She doesn’t reach for my hand, ask for hugs, or seek closeness. When I do, she accepts it, but I don’t feel that desire coming from her side — and that hurts.

She also says she likes “sweet / affectionate” people, but she isn’t very affectionate or emotionally expressive with me. On calls she’s more playful and joking, and through messages she rarely shows romantic emotion or softness. I often feel like I’m giving more emotionally than I’m receiving.

Before me, she was briefly talking to another guy and was physically playful with him very quickly. With me — after 3 months — I haven’t seen that same natural affection, which makes me wonder if this is just her personality or how much she actually feels for me.

Sometimes I send her photos of me doing something, but she rarely tells me directly that I look attractive or that she desires me. Instead of that she always jokes about something that appeared in the photo, or says I have a nice jacket or things like that, but I don’t feel desired. I need to feel like a “hell yes,” not a “meh, it’s okay.”

There are positive things: she communicates, says she feels good with me, hasn’t pulled away, talks about “us,” asked to keep my sweater, and is consistent. But emotionally, I still feel like I’m getting partial love, not full love. I feel tolerated, not craved.

She says she moves slowly because of past experiences, and I respect that. But I’m starting to wonder: how slow is too slow? And what if this is simply her emotional style?

I’m a very affectionate and emotionally expressive person. With her, I often feel the opposite:

•	Her responses can feel dry

•	She shows little emotional initiative

•	Physical affection is limited

•	Our only kiss felt rushed and almost forced

•	She sometimes mentions finding other guys attractive (even though I told her I’m sensitive about that)

Even after good dates, I sometimes feel sad — like I’m getting emotional crumbs with the promise that “one day” things will be different. But I don’t want crumbs. I want the full cake.

I’m scared to bring this up because we’re not official, I don’t want to seem intense, pressure her, or ruin what we have. But staying silent is hurting me too.

It feels like I’m on a “free trial” — not getting the full experience because I’m not her boyfriend. And I’m afraid that even if I were, things might stay the same.

My questions:

•	Are my emotional needs valid or am I too sensitive?

•	Can emotional expressiveness change over time?

•	Have you experienced something like this, and did it improve?

•	Is this low emotional investment or just a different love style?

•	When do you stop waiting for potential and accept reality?

I care about her, but I don’t want to keep feeling emotionally starved.