darn it boyfriend!

So, I met my current boyfriend in a bar. It was the first night I had been at one since leaving my child's father. I was actually there to sit with a friend because I had just visited my best friends grave for the first time since we buried him. I didn't wanna be alone. I was in sweats and a hoodie, swollen eyes from crying, hair a mess.. but he was drawn to me. He ended up just talking to me about my life and everything I had went through. He was strangely understanding. I was sober, he was not. However, we talked for hours until my friend ended up too drunk and got kicked out. He got my number and ended up texting me the next day to check up on my drunky friend. We talked a lot, he asked me out for dinner, we had fun. A lot of fun. He was different, highly intelligent and we met on a quirky level. We spent six months just dating. He ended up asking me to be in a relationship a few months ago. I said yes, and he started getting to know my son and met my parents. I met a lot of his family. I met some of his friends, and he met mine. However, there is something about him that is red flagging. He manipulates situations when he doesn't need to, he hardly ever admits he is wrong and if he does an apology is not attached. However, I always know when he is actually sorry because he attempts to make up for it in his own ways. I left a narcissistic man and maybe I am just too worried about falling for another one that I am putting these up on my own. While we haven't invested that much time into each other, he says he loves me. I have never said it back. He said if I ever do he knows I will tell him and he is ok with me not saying it yet or feeling it. I am wondering if his issues he is doing has something to do with me not recipricating the i love you.. any opinions?