How should I handle this?

[littlebittle]

i met this guy about a year ago. we went on a few dates and he told me he liked me a lot, but i wasn't ready for a relationship so things never went anywhere. we remained friends and we've hung out occasionally since then. the reason why i didn't get serious with him way back then was because i was getting over a breakup. i haven't dated anyone else in the interim, and i'm finally over that breakup.

 

we've been hanging out more lately and i'm starting to like him. i guess we hang out about once a week right now, and we text most days. he's still really sweet to me, but i'm not sure if he's still interested in dating me. he does always try to pay for me when we go out, and he's always very accommodating and thoughtful.

 

we hung out last night and i decided i would try to sort of make a move and see how he responded. we ended up staying up really late and i tried to cuddle with him but he wasn't particularly responsive. i mean, he did put his arm around me, but i guess i just didn't get the right vibe. he also seemed to be falling asleep. i'm very shy and i don't know how he feels about me and i don't want to be rejected, so i didn't go for it. i told him he could stay over but he had work in the morning. after he left i sent him a text basically saying i wish he had stayed over and that i think he's cute (i was a bit drunk). he just responded with "sweet dreams." i figured that was kind of a hint that he isn't interested so i decided i'd back off and we can just be friends. but then today he texted me asking me to hang out tomorrow night.

 

one thing to note is that when we first went out like a year ago, he wanted to kiss me a few times, but i gently told him i wasn't ready then. after 3 tries he said he wouldn't try to kiss me again and i'd have to tell him when i was ready. but that was like a year ago.

 

what do you make of all of this? do you think he still likes me? should i do something or wait for him to act? i feel like he might have his guard up since i kind of rejected him in the past. but maybe he just doesn't like me anymore. when we stopped dating originally, he told me i was one of the coolest people he's ever met, and i felt like he really meant it. i'm usually straightforward about my feelings, but this is a weird situation and i don't want to get hurt or hurt him.