I need advice - and fast!

I've known a guy that I work with since I was about 5 (I'm 17 now and he's 20)- his mum was a teaching assistant at my school and he was 3 years above me. I remember he did the school discos - will never forget that! We started talking in December of last year, I had never seen him as more than a friend but as we got to know eachother and met up out of work I saw how amazing he was (I never noticed that body either😍😍). We spend an evening together in eachothers arms and I'll never forget it, however we didn't kiss, he would just peck my shoulder now and again😂 In the new year we started talking less and less. The other night I asked him why and he said it was because he's working long hours and he's preparing to go to France to work for 4 months. I then said that I missed talking to him and I DID like him (WHY DID I PUT IT IN PAST TENSE?!) and he seemed happy by putting "What?🙈😂🙊" but then he said "Ooh right". So I left it. The next day I told him that I still liked him and I wanted to know how he felt. He never answered that message. Now at work he talks to me like nothing happened but I can feel that he feels awkward. 
He means everything to me and I can't stop thinking about him, he's perfect and he made me so happy😔 I don't know what I'll do when he's gone..
I'm stuck now, what do I do?!?!