This would be in the context of a romantic relationship/partnership. My overarching view of this is that I feel like in our times and culture those words have become very cheap. Seeing people treat each other like total garbage and try to put a band-aid on things by saying the magic words. Can love not be expressed by your actions, your nature, and your respect towards another person? I know when someone loves me, they don’t have to tell me also.
My wife is Chinese, and in Chinese culture saying I love you isn’t really a thing for the most part. I tell her I love her often, and when I do she will say it back, but otherwise she mostly just shows me through acts of service. It was hard to get used to at first, being from the U.S. where saying it is pretty much required, but I’ve grown to appreciate her ways of showing love. It feels almost more meaningful the ways she shows it rather than just saying it.