Search Results: acting different around friends

My ex and I were really close friends before we started dating. I was hesitant about starting a relationship bc we were about to go study abroad in different countries for 2 months but he pushed for it & believed that we could make it work. We did but he was still insecure because I wasn't very affectionate & often asked me where the relationship was going, what he meant to me, etc. After 8 months he wanted a break bc he felt like his feelings were one-sided, I only saw him as a friend, maybe we wanted different things & time apart would be good. I agreed but decided after 2 weeks that I didn't like an indefinite break, so we broke up. He pushed for us to remain friends (he could hang out & come over to my place bc he still enjoyed my company). Then 1 week later he wanted to cut contact so I deleted him from all my social media. But at a mutual friend's party 1 month later, he kept trying to get my attention even when I tried to ignore him to make sure I had a safe ride home. We saw each other again after 2 months, I said hi first. We caught up, joked around, teased each other. He was still very emotionally open & unguarded with me. I told him that i was planning a trip & he said to reach out to him if I had questions. Then we ran into some of my friends & he made it obvious to them that we had a history, & even video snapchat us (I only found out bc mutual friends asked about it). He gave me a ride home & told me it was nice talking to me again, asked if I were doing ok (yes), and said that we should catch up again, I just said "uh" so he backpedaled & said "oh maybe not". I fb messaged him 2 weeks later to meet up & ask about the trip but he didn't reply. But then at another mutual friend thing a week later, he came up to me & asked how the trip planning was. It's been 4 months since we broke up, honestly I miss being friends & hanging out w/ him but I'm scared that he doesn't want the same. Should I try to reestablish a friendship?

Why is he acting like this now that he potentially knows I like him? A month ago crush heard from my "friend" that I was thinking of asking him to sadie hawkins dance, which wasn't true because I already had a date. He didn't act different for that month. The other day I added him on snap as a friend, and HIS BROTHER went on IG live and was like "ol who's that girl that was going to ask you to the dance? and said my name. Then he called a mutual "friend," apologized for his brother, and calmly explained he already had a game that day and he's not interested in those dances, blah blah blah. The thing is, Im pretty positive "friend" told him I had feelings for him, which i sorta do.

The day after he told her he had a game and stuff, I texted him letting him know that I wasn't going to ask him in the first place, and that me and the "friend" he told, weren't even close. He replied "hahahaha its all good no worries" an i thought everything would be cool.

Now I catch him:

He's looked at me in class and when we lock eyes he just keeps looking?

In the hall he stares me down until we are really close, then he looks down.

My friend has caught him twice turning completely around in the library to look at me.

he's looked at me from the corner of his eye a few times.

He was laughing with his friend and looked at me and looked away very quickly and stopped laughing.

he's pretty confident so I don't know what's going on...

We also had a dance the other day and I went with a different guy and posted a pic on IG. He liked every single pic in his feed except mine on purpose.. I don't know if he's trying to tell me he's not interested or what or maybe he is but when i texted him clearing up the dance, he might have taken that as me not being interested? I don't know

So I was associates with this guy and I started to use him a little to make my crush jealous and eventually he caught on but he agreed to play along (nothing crazy like kissing or anything) I made sure he knew we were only friends. But days later it seemed like he was taking it too far and he would keep "playing along" even after I told him I wasn't trying to make my crush jealous anymore. He would try to hold my hand , hold the door for me , give me compliments and all of that so I ALMOST started to fall for him until he started acting different when my friend came around. One day that friend and I went to ask him did he like me and he said no with a straight face. I felt a little sad but i got over it and stopped talking to him as much as I use too and now a month later he's starting to act like he did before... complimenting my outfits , lips , hair , etc. and I've been avoiding him ever since he started complimenting me but now he won't stop and he's catching on that I barely talk to him anymore. So do I just cut off the entire friendship? I don't have a valid reason to be mad at him but I just am , he just does little annoying things and im trying not to get my feelings into it like I almost did before... I don't want to be that girl I promised I wouldn't be when we were close BUT I don't want to talk to him at all !! And to top it all off the same girl that went with me to ask him if he liked me just got into a big argument with him a few days ago so I don't want him to feel like all of his female friends are turning on him. What should I do?