A little of that, mostly because you were rambling but also because I knew what you were going to say. Going back and reading it, I was right.
The other part of it, that you may or may not have picked up on, is that if you actually loved them then saying it to them is such a small and insignificant gesture that it can't possibly be burdensome.
If you aren't on that level with them, then do you really love them at all? Or is it just a thing you say and treat as fact without really examining it.
There's no reason to say it back just because you feel obligated. I would never do that and I have no qualms about leaving someone hanging on an "I love you"