This guy (24M) (I will name him John) lives with my best friend (Katelyn) and her boyfriend (Steven) in the same house. We went to school together, but I've barely personally met him last October.

We had a fling for a couple of months but whenever I wasn't around he'd always inquire Katelyn and Steven about me all the time like "how is she? Is she good? When will she come around again?"

He's admittedly told them that he likes me a lot but he has this massive guard up about opening his heart to being in a relationship. We hadn't personally texted since our fling ended in March 2020, then I had gotten into dating someone (to which John had no idea since we weren't that close anyway)

According to Steven, John hasn't been in any serious, committed relationship since high school. John has focused on himself, works a lot but he does party but never brings anyone back home. I recently got out of my relationship in August and he overheard me ranting to Katelyn in the house about how over I was with the guy I was dating. Knowing I was upset, John texted me the next morning letting me know that I didn't deserve to be in a shitty relationship and that I need someone way better. I thanked him and he was texting me the WHOLE day. Which is random.

Thrown off guard, I asked Katelyn why he's been super communicative all of a sudden and she said that it's most likely the fact that he's jealous that I was actually with someone and now he's trying to make his move. And he did for a month! He was super talkative, sweet, I could tell he was anxious to be around me but he was loving nonetheless. He'd order in food for me and him and we'd all have movie nights together watching Harry Potter. Katelyn even recorded a hidden video when John got home one night saying that he regrets ever passing me up in the past and that he really likes me..that he's ready to be serious with me.

Although everything he did was nice, I know he was afraid of being smitten with anyone, which when I asked Katelyn why that was she said that his explanation was that he hasn't fallen for anyone and he doesn't know how he will be in a relationship. He knows I'm a great girl but he's afraid he won't be enough.

I'd ask him these questions, but I'm also not trying to pressure him into thinking I want a relationship, I want us to take our time and John doesn't know that Katelyn and I have these conversations. K is my right hand, she's rooting for both of us.

A week after that, John and I went to the beach. It was pleasant I was just anxious the whole time. But now here's the tricky part...after the trip he cut me off. I got worried that I had done something wrong but even Katelyn and Steven said that he was acting very strange and closed off lately with them too...which he usually doesn't act that way. He hasn't gone out to parties, he's been home a lot which is unusual...he's been watching a lot of football so there's that too. We figured maybe he's just preoccupied with that.

I decided to ask if he had brought any females over and they said they haven't seen anyone come to the house in forever...then speak of the devil 3 days after that conversation his ex came over but she immediately left after they were done having sex. Katelyn and Steven were shocked, Katelyn was the one that immediately texted me when she saw her walk in. According to Katelyn, he really kept her at a distance. He wasn't excited to see her. No hugs, no kisses entering the house, just went to the room and quickly finished.

John claims to them that he only uses her for sex, which they already knew that...so they asked him why not ask me?

His response was "I really respect B (me), I don't want B to think I only want her for sex"

I'm kind of torn on what to believe. Dont get me wrong, I'm still doing my thing I'm not trying to get super caught up about it BUT is that even normal? He's told K and S things like how he'd never allow a female to stay over night in his bed but he always loves it when I sleep over, he'd go out of his way to spend time with me which he doesn't do for anyone, he talks very highly about me when I'm not around....so....why?

Four days later and he's still acting very distant and isolated,, k and I assume he's going through a depression of some sort and we just left it at that.

Should I just not try to wait for him to come around? Katelyn did say this is the same behavior Steven had before they became serious and that John and Steven --just like me and her -- are one in the same. I'm just not familiar I suppose...

TL;DR: guy I have huge crush on instantly becomes distant after confessing his likeness of me to our closest friends now I'm hella confused.