I told him that I love him. Would it scare him?
I feel like he would say: "There was a time when I felt the same, but things have happened, and I'm not really thinking about that now, though you're still special to me. Maybe be when I get back...we'll see what happens."
Maybe that's just the truth of it all. A chance comes, and, timing not being right, passes.
And it hurts like crazy.