I (18M) think I should break up with my girlfriend (18F) but I feel terrible
For context, we are in college and have only been together for about 2 months. It feels like a lot longer though because we see each other everyday. Things have been going well for the most part and I really do like her because she’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. However, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t see a future with her. I feel like we clash in a lot of aspects and our values are different, but I don’t think she sees this at all. I have felt unsure about this relationship for the longest time, which probably isn’t a good thing but I wanted to first make sure it wasn’t just the “newness” of it. I’ve only ever dated one other person before, and it was only for a couple months.
She’s been moving faster than me too. I can 100% tell she wants to tell me she loves me. And I’m certain she sees a future with me because a while back she mentioned “What’s the point of being with someone if you can’t see a potential future with them?”. So of course that’s been on my mind a lot because I agreed with her at the time, and I don’t want to seem hypocritical.
I’m scared that if I break up with her it’ll be really hard on her. We both don’t have very many friends, so having each other helps us to not feel lonely. She also doesn’t open up to a lot of people and we’ve had a lot of deep conversations. She’s never been in a relationship before, so I think she didn’t really know what to expect. Additionally, she already told her very judgmental mother that we are dating, along with many of her friends back home. As for me, she’s even met my parents since they visited me here. Like I said, it’s only been 2 months, but not “casual” in nature at all.
I just feel like a jerk. She’s so sweet and I’m terrified of breaking her heart. I’ve been considering breaking up with her for a while but I’m scared the longer I wait the worse it’ll be.
Is not seeing a future with someone, just based on a “feeling”, a valid reason to break up? If so, how do I tell her in a way that’ll hurt her the least? And, how long can I wait? I don’t want to feel like I’m lying by staying, and I want her to be with someone who can say “I love you” without second guessing it.
TL;DR: Been dating girlfriend for two months, she’s more serious than I am, know I should break up but not sure how and don’t want to hurt her.