Not that it matters, but whenever a guy I'm dating has told me "I need space," that's usually his passive-aggressive, indirect way of breaking up with me. It feels manipulative to me whenever I hear that phrase, because my response always has been, "if you want to break up with me, just do it already. Say you want to end the relationship."

Have you asked your boyfriend if he wants to end the relationship? Just be direct. See how he reacts. He's not being honest with you either, by telling you that he needs space. You don't need space from someone you are in love with, if you two already have healthy, established boundaries (your own friends, your own hobbies, your own nights out without each other). So, that's why I call "b.s." on his "I need space" excuse.