Could you be loved?

I guess I'm still to young to really understand what the word "love" means. Or perhaps I'm trying to understand what it means, but it really doesn't mean anything beyond just the word that it is. Maybe its a word like death where you hear it and you have a good visualization of what it is but never really experience it, because I mean you can't experience death, you just die. But I wonder what it is that makes people love each other, like what goes through one persons mind. Is it really because they love that person? Or is it because both people are at a point in their lives where they just want to settle down and they are just very compatible with each other? I've had two longer relationships for my age, one for 9 months and another that is currently at 17 months. I have told both of these girls that I love them, but I know I couldn't marry either because I just would not be able to put up with them all the time. But, maybe its just because I'm not ready for that stage in my life yet. At some points I guess I do feel like I am just playing the role of being in love and I would designate those moments of when I don't really want to be with my girlfriend but I know I don't want to lose her. For example, when shes angry at me or whatever I pretend to be compassionate and promise to make things better, but sometimes she is angry at me for things that I feel are ridiculous. Or she'll demand that I change or we won't work out. Of course I say I will, but maybe I don't want to at all I am just pretending I am going to. There are other times though where I feel like when I'm with a certain someone I don't need anyone else in the world. But then there are the other times that I am more so role playing a perfect boyfriend just so I can have those previously mentioned moments again, or so that I have someone to hang out with when there is nothing else to do. There are also other things involved in role playing a boyfriend, for example, overreacting and being overprotective at times. Like, sometimes I have to make a huge scene when she does something I don't totally agree with just so she gets the point that I don't like it. In reality sometimes I could really careless, but I do it anyway to get my point across. Or if some guy I don't like talks to her or something, of course I have to be intimidating toward him just so reassure that nobody is trying to step in. I guess that kind of sounds like an animal that protects their territory. Anyway, from my experiences I think love is a lot of role playing and I'm not sure if "love" is something that really exists and can be felt or if it is just an idea and ideal that people aim for. It could be easily confused with settling down and being comfortable and I guess in a pair it makes life a lot easier to manage and to achieve goals perhaps. It's probably just finding someone that just continues to intrigue you and make you happy and is compatible at the same time, I wouldn't really know though.