He's uncomfortable and that's it. That's the reason. You just don't like the reason he's given.
He will open up, but at his own pace, in his own time. My guess is you're expecting him to jump out there wearing everything on his sleeve and we just don't work that way. You're expecting a man to move like a woman, not like a man does. That's an unrealistic expectation. I guarantee you this: The man that appears to be super vulnerable and open, is holding back far more than you might even be able to fathom. It's a performance to silence you and your doubts, but best believe there's probably some horrific shit he's keeping close to the vest that you may never learn of... Or you might, after decades of marriage he may just open up about it out of the blue.
True story: One day, after being with her for nearly 20 years, my father opened up to my stepmother while they were in bed talking one night. He told her that one day someone may come knocking at their door, possibly even two of them. Come to find out, he fathered one, but possibly two kids, in the 70's prior to meeting my stepmoms. It was something he had dealt with in his head for all those years, and finally came to terms with it to the point where he opened up about it. Stepmoms didn't hold it against him either, and I got that straight from her own mouth because she recounted the story to me barely even a couple of years ago.
In the meantime, they had a life together; he raised her son, my stepbrother, and they had two more kids together. Went through ups and downs and all of the usual married life shit.
