So you wanna be Casual Friends?

Hard to say without any info about what you had written to him, but it sounds like he doesn't want to get serious with you. "casual friend" is a better term then "person I was dating but it never went anywhere" and is more of a justification of the time you spent together. In my book, there's girlfriends, girls, friends that are girls, my buddies (guys), and people that I know. I've never had a "casual friend" and I think it's cause they don't exist! Regardless, try reading the email with a broader perspective, and instead of trying to figure out what he meant by any one particular term, look at what he's trying to tell you. When people don't know how to say what they really want, they end up making it confusing for other to understand it.

He may regret his decision to break up with you, or he might feel sorry that he hurt you in the process. I think that his question is just a way of asking how you currently feel about the relationship.

First, I'll define casual friend (or at least what I think it means...) Someone you can hang out with, without any sexual tension or anything of the sort. I actually do have casual girl friends (contrary to what BoMusicMoy says, lol). And basically I can hang out with them, go to the movies, have dinner, etc. and have a great time. They can be your fall back if something goes wrong, like when you need a date to somewhere. But since you both understand the boundaries and are comfortable with it, things will never be awkward.

I took my best friend to my Prom and had a blast. We're still friends to this day.

I think what you should appreciate is the fact that he's being honest with you about how he feels. You seem a little shocked by that.