Confused about what he meant. Also how I can improve myself and the relationship

I'd look hard at the unhealthy level of control / interference your family appear to have. At 20s and 30 your relationships are none of their business. It's something I'd expect of overbearing parents with a teenager, not with an adult.

I wouldn't expect to have to answer immediately every time he phones but it is reasonable to call him back later, when it is convenient, equally for you to call him back and for him to expect a call back.

I'd find having to schedule calls, other than a wide window like "I'm usually free in the evening, after 7pm.... or similar" , rather bizarre. Sometimes he may just want a chat, insisting on text only seems very restricting and unsatisfactory. If a partner didn't appear to want to talk to me for two weeks I'd be wondering about our relationship.

Is there a cultural element to the influence your family appear to have on the situation? Your phraseology indicates to me English may not be your first language.

Maybe my family are more live and let live types who don't interfere and let people live their own lives but in the unlikely event they did try to interfere they know they would be told, not very poiltely to put it mildly, to keep their opinions to themselves.

No I dont know better at all - you need to talk to him to see what he did mean.

Does your boyfriend know how difficult and toxic your family situation is? If not you need to have a very honest conversation with him if he is to have any hope of understanding the lack of communication.

Let him know morning is the best time to call and talk to him then, out of earshot of interfering family if possible. If you give him a window of opportunity where it's easier for you to talk, answer his calls then. It's not reasonable for him to expect you to answer immediately any time, day or night but it's equally not reasonable for you to cut off all conversation.

You're not going to solve a communication problem by text (says he on a message board 🙄) so talking to your boyfriend is important, make the time for it.

At some stage either your family will have to accept that your personal life is none of their business or you will have to make a choice between your boyfriend and your family - and if not this boyfriend, then some (or every) future one. Make that your choice, not their's. If they don't like your choice, that's their problem, not your's.

OP, here's the thing about men. We're not psychic... we don't communicate in the same way that women usually communicate... we're usually pretty direct.

If someone I was dating was ignoring my calls for two weeks straight without explaining to me properly as to why, or if they weren't even making a small effort to go outside for a quick call or whatever I'd be annoyed too. This relationship sounds very transactional to me... and if all you ever want is sex when you're around him but don't want to talk to him (that's how he'll see it) then he'll end up feeling used.

Also, he didn't say that he would make you better... he was annoyed at the gift idea because it doesn't make up for it nor does it explain why it occurred. Your actions (words count for nothing, sorry) show that you are, essentially, ignoring him. That can't feel good and it's going to hurt his self esteem.

If his behaviour confuses you then TALK to him about it and BE HONEST. Be direct. He won't understand otherwise.

I'm sorry I have to agree with others in this thread, you do sound quite immature in matters of this nature. Like I said, he's not psychic... just talk to the bloody guy.

Like everything else any sentence needs to be considered in context, and you are being quite scarce on that in your thread, OP.

Everyone will also have different views on maturity here, but I think you will struggle to find anyone who will consider a 20 something year old, who can’t have a direct conversation with their partner, and instead tiptoes around their family expectations, to be acting in a mature way.

"Calls aren't that important anyway"

They obviously are to your boyfriend. If the relationship is important to you then you need to appreciate how important calls and communication are to your boyfriend. He also needs to appreciate your circumstances but can't unless you explain them to him.

Relationships need work, you and your boyfriend need to work out a reasonable compromise you both can accept. Not waiting at the end of the phone waiting for his every minute of the day but equally not being incommunicado for days or weeks on end.

You say you already put enough effort into the relationship but if a partner of mine was not responding to calls for two weeks I'd be asking myself if I should get the hint and move on.

If you are not going to be back in the same city together very soon I would make the effort to both explain your toxic family circumstances fully to him and to speak to him regularly over the phone. It may be an effort on your part in your current circumstances but is the relationship worth the effort?