Why come back now, is it Love?

My ex just came back into my life and idk how to feel bc of how I was hurt in the past. We were together for 6months and during our last month I felt as if he was falling out of love. He told me he loved me first and everything and I genuinely felt like he loved me. But when he started to get dry I felt as if he was starting to lose feelings. After we broke up up 3months later we got back into contact but it was always me putting in the effort and never him. And while we talking about something he told me he never did love me but really did care for me and that really tore me apart. Because that’s means the whole time I was happy in love, I was the only one. But now he just came back and it’s been like 8minths since we last talked. And I don’t feel like I use to, I do truly care for him but I know what I went through and what I deserve. And recently he has been talking a lot more and showing me affection and not being dry. And also we talked and he pretty much said I was his dream girl and I said if I was then we wouldn’t have ended in the first place. But he said that’s prolly what needed to happen at that time. And says he did love me and still does but I have been wondering lately what changed. Where was all this after we broke up, and I tried and tried. He said he never tried to get back together bc I was going to college and he didn’t want to slow me down. But I still had another year down there with him, so why now, why feel like u care about me now. I just don’t want to get hurt again, and I’m only 18, and I don’t want to go through that phase of hurt. We never even had sexual encounters for all when we were together . Please help me out, I’m stuck in my head