He wants exclusive but goes vague on his past dates? Read it right

A dodge right after he asked for exclusivity usually means the past is awkward for him, not that the present is a lie. Guys often feel exposed when they admit they were talking to several people at once, especially if one of those situations ended badly or got more involved than he wants to say. Watch the shape of the vagueness. If he gives a short, flat answer and moves on, that's probably discomfort. If he gets defensive, makes your question the problem, or suddenly becomes hard to reach, pay closer attention.

Also notice whether he's vague about how many people or about specifics. Someone who says "a few" but won't name anyone is protecting privacy, theirs and other people's. Someone who won't say whether anything is still going on with anyone is answering a different question than the one you asked. Both can be fine, but only the second one needs you to push for a clear yes or no.

A good reply does three things. It acknowledges that the question was fair without apologizing for asking. It asks for the one piece of information you actually need, which is usually whether anyone else is still in the picture and whether he's stopped seeing them. And it leaves room for him to answer in his own words without a list.

Keep it in the present tense where you can. "Are you still talking to anyone else?" is clearer and less threatening than a question about everything he did before you. If he's already given a vague answer once, don't repeat the same question with more force. Name the thing you need, say it calmly, and let him respond. The point is a direct answer on the one thing that affects exclusivity, not winning a conversation about the past.

Let your message land and give him a reasonable window, usually a few hours to a day depending on how the two of you normally text. If he goes quiet after a dodge, that silence tells you something, but it isn't a verdict yet. People often need time to figure out how to answer something they didn't expect. Don't send a second message within the hour, and don't fill the gap with a long follow-up explaining why you asked.

If a day passes with no reply, a short, neutral check-in is fair. Make it easy for him to come back without feeling cornered. If he still doesn't answer, or answers with something evasive again, stop trying to figure out the past. Decide whether you're comfortable being in a relationship with someone who won't tell you where things stand. That decision is yours, and you don't need his agreement to make it.