How to reply when he asks if you feel the same way

He's not asking for a detailed breakdown of your emotional state. He's asking if you're in the same ballpark. He wants to know if he's building something with someone who might build it back, or if he's investing in something one-sided.

He asked because he's either felt hesitation from you and needs to know if it's real, or he's confident enough in what he's sensing that he wants to lock it in. Either way, he's taken a risk. That changes what your answer needs to do. Evasion reads as a no. Overexplaining reads as guilt. He's waiting for you to meet him halfway.

If you feel it too, say that. If you're building toward it but aren't there yet, say that instead. If you don't feel the same way and won't, tell him clearly.

The move here is matching his clarity with your own. Don't inflate your feelings to keep him happy. Don't hide behind uncertainty if you're actually sure. Name what's true right now. You can acknowledge that feelings might grow or shift, but start from the actual ground floor. This removes the guesswork for both of you and actually makes him feel secure, because he knows what he's working with.

Don't reply in the moment if you need to sit with it first. A few hours of thinking is fine. A day is okay if you really need it. More than that and he starts interpreting silence as a no, which is its own answer.

Once you reply, he'll likely either step closer or step back depending on what you said. If he pulls back after you were honest, that's him making a choice, and that's clean. If he pushes for more after you've already told him where you are, you don't owe him another conversation. You answered the question. His move now is to accept it or leave.