Guy's Behavior

He has been avoiding me but said everything is normal. How do I go about this?

Two weeks ago, I told a guy I like that I had cried and been upset with him because of his behaviour over the past month. It wasn’t anything too serious, but it did hurt my feelings. We’d been friends for about four months. He sincerely apologised, admitted it was his fault, and assured me he wasn’t offended or upset by what I said.

However, when I texted him three days later, his text seemed more formal and concise than usual. He also seemed to avoid me when we met a week later, and one of our mutual friends noticed it. When I sent him a message asking whether he was upset with me because he seemed to be keeping his distance, he replied that I was overthinking things and everything was normal. But that same day, he did not even talk to me, though we had previously agreed to discuss something else.

I’m genuinely clueless about what’s going on. Our mutual friend suggested his behaviour might be because he doesn’t know how to handle emotionally charged situations, especially since he’s never been in a relationship.

I want to resolve this, but I’m unsure how to approach him if he’s distant and unwilling to open up. Why might he act this way, and what’s the best way to handle the situation?

Any advice would be appreciated!

For some more context:

In the past couple of months, there have been moments when he seemed interested in me more than just a friend. He suggested going on a holiday or one-day trips together, suddenly complimented me out of nowhere, and sometimes leaned in close when it was unnecessary. But then there were days when he barely acknowledged me. He doesn’t initiate conversations often but will be actively engaged if I start one.

Our mutual friend said she sometimes noticed he looked nervous around me, and when we were in a group, he seemed hesitant to talk to me. I’ve seen him initiate conversations with other male and female friends without issue. He also avoids making eye contact with me at times, which isn’t something he does with others.

He has been avoiding me but said everything is normal. How do I go about this?
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