he won't commit but won't let me go

He told me, directly, that he wasn’t looking to date or be with anyone right now.

We had feelings for each other. That was clear between us. Six months earlier, he’d gotten out of a toxic relationship—he’d told me that, too.

I’d heard from others that when men say they’re not looking to date, it might not be the whole story. That if the right person came along, they wouldn’t hesitate. I kept thinking about that after our conversation, turning it over in my mind.

He said he wasn’t looking to date. I listened. I thought about his breakup, how recent it was, and wondered what that meant for us.

Eventually, I told him we should keep things platonic.

After that, we stopped talking. No slow fade, just nothing.

I can’t wrap my head around it. I keep thinking about what happened and why. I still don’t know his real reason, and I’m left with the questions.