Why can my love life never be simple :)) (super long story but it’s kinda wild so)

So. Around two weeks after my two and a half year relationship ended, I downloaded tinder (naturally). I was angry and hurt, and wanted someone to help with that pain and to get back at my ex pretty much (yes that’s shitty but I was feeling shitty). I kind of wanted just a quick fuck or someone to get my ex off my mind. I ended up meeting a super nice guy; took me on a date, was sweet and just my type. We hooked for a while, and of course I caught feelings. He seemed like a nice guy who just wanted a hook up but he also just seemed different. We used to chill before or after we hooked up, I would sleep over or he would come over. We used to watch movies and went to one or two on campus events and stuff together. So kind of weird, so naturally I caught feelings for him eventually. I told him that, and he said he liked me too but it just wasn’t a good time for him to want to date being his senior year. Fair tbh idk what I was thinking, college men are hard to date in general so. I said maybe we shouldn’t hook up anymore, but we did anyway. This is all over about a semester and a half of school. He used to ask me about my ex and remembered details about my life but he didn’t like/wasn’t good at texting so it was just in person convos, we just texted to make plans and maybe catch up for a bit (one time he called me all upset after the presidential election which took me by surprise because it was just about that, not about meeting up, just so random). We didn’t hook up for a bit and then I saw him on tinder again at the end of last semester, and he came over another time. This hookup felt different. I could tell he was going through some stuff when we first met and when we first started hooking up (he became medically unqualified to play basketball for the school anymore after playing his whole life). He seemed more confident this time, and I felt more like just a hookup a bit. Summer passes, we don’t talk over the summer (he is from Philly, i’m from New York). In September sometime I had gone on a mini road trip w some friends and we went to Philly. And I thought of him, so I snapchatted him with a geotag of where I was and asked where to get food in the area. We started snapping back and forth everyday. It was random shit at first and then we started talking, flirting. He told me he was writing a novel and sent me a draft of it, wanted my opinion. He asks me about my ex and if I still have feelings for him. It was really nice talking, lasted about a month everyday. This is where is gets kind of interesting. One night he is just talking about how bad of a person he is and he starts telling me how he got his best friend pregnant (tbh this girl definitely set him up by lying about the bc and lying about the plan b she claimed to have forgotten to buy. he is an awesome guy and they have known each other for so long. she really wanted a kid, who better than him). He told me how he really liked her. She had come up for one of his formals and he told her how much he liked her in HS, and how he wanted something. She was like nope, never felt that way with you at all (but they ended up drunk and having sex anyway lol). He says her mom is trying to force them to get married but he doesn’t want her or that anymore. So she is pregnant, keeping the baby (she got pregnant in March or April, and the last time we hooked up was in May btw, thought that was interesting lol). Here is another interesting bit: he joined the Peace Corps. Always was a part of his plan for a while, he told me when he applied a while ago (I am also interested in the Peace Corps one day so it was cool to talk to someone who was interested in it too). He left for a country like 9,000 miles away around a week ago. We had kept up our 30 day streaks and best friend status on snapchat up until yesterday. I genuinely don’t think he is ignoring me, dude is in the Peace Corps working lol. He used to say all the time during this last month we started talking again about how we were going to see each other when he gets back (which is in 27 months :)))) and how we are going to keep talking while he is there. I want to give him space and not bother him while he is there (13 hour time difference also). I have always really liked him since we met. We have similar interests but enough differences that keep me interested. I just don’t know what to say or do. I want to just let him contact me if and when he wants. Sometimes when I say stuff I feel like he (and other guys from the past) must think i’m so insecure; like if he says he is gonna do it, then he will. I must have some trust issues and insecurities because I never believe it. Our streak is about to die and I rant and rave about how much he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore, and then he’ll snap me (and I know the snapchat thing seems so immature but I genuinely also like sending pictures and stuff better than regular texting. I snap enough that it’s equivalent to texting pretty much lol). But yeah. Sucks to always have him kind of on my mind, but I don’t want to waste my time. He tells me to stop being so pessimistic but i’m just protecting myself I guess. Any advice appreciated ♥️