Search Results: asking classmate out

I'm new at this and I feel like a deer in the headlights. I'm sorry for the length of this.

There is this guy (isn't there always?) - he's 18. There have always been this tension between us although supposedly purely platonic. I did not dare to complicate it as we are classmates and I wouldn't want to screw up our friendship. We have been friends for a year and the past six months, we have grown quite close. He finally let down his guards and he is now being completely honest and somehow vulnerable when hanging out just the two of us. None of our classmates know about us.

We've had several of those nights where we would cuddle and talk about each others' dreams and interests all night without taking it further. If something should happen, it should be because I wanted to. After a couple of months, I decided to go all the way and since then, he has been asking to hang out at night and one night, I accepted.
He then jumped through my window and we ended up talking, laughing, kissing and listening to LP records all night. We did not go further since that one night as I had unfortunately grown feelings for him and I don't want to end up feeling used when that's not the case. Then he kissed me goodnight and drove home.

It confused me that I no longer felt that it was purely platonic and therefore, I told him that I would back off into friendzone before I catch feelings and start regretting. He made it clear that he did not see it coming, then warned me not to get my hopes too high and told me to do what suited me the best. It was a relief - I felt as if he set me free. Meanwhile getting over him, his other close friend is unfortunately crushing on me and I do not want him to be a rebound (he's really sweet). I suppose it might get awkward between the three of us.

The problem is that even though my close friend knew I wanted distance, he keeps texting me at night, asking about my day and so on.

Should I stay his friend or cut him off completely?