How can I tell a sensitive guy that I need some space?

[lillady898]

One of my male friends is beginning to like me too much. He always wants to talk or hang out, which is just fine. I love talking to him.

 

But my phone bill is getting too high and my schedule is getting tighter. We talk about every day (most of the time for more than 2 hours) and we see eachother atleast 3 days a week. It's becoming exhausting and expensive.

 

The thing is that he's a really sensitive guy. He's very easily hurt. He doesn't show it right away, but later the truth comes out about how he's feeling. And being the sensitive guy that he is, I know he would be upset and withdraw even too much if I told him that we can't talk or see eachother as much.

 

How can I get him to back down a bit, without killing his ego?

[dreamy333]

ween him little by little. i mean i am a sensitive person to people i am close 2. but i would just tell him bc i would rather someone be honest then fake nice i mean my feeling get hurt alot but i dont get mad i understand where these people come from. just tell him.

[darkblue]

i would rather someone be honest then fake nice

 

Agreed, but you have to be careful not to seem like you're blowing him off.

[lillady898]

My friendliness with him is far from being fake. It is very genuine. I do actually enjoy talking to him and hanging out with him. I love talking to him, I really do. That's not why I can't talk as much.

 

At this point in time I can't afford the phone bills and I really don't want my grades to slip because of all this time I'm spending with him. And I know if I told him exactly this (too high of phone bills and I don't have enough time to study, or even enough time for other friends), he would be upset and take it personally.

 

I just don't know how to go about it without hurting his feelings. I'm happy he's a sensitive guy in a sense that he's very sweet, but when it comes to this he is very difficult.