Stop it. You have to accept the fact that you will probably lose a friend over it, but you will be miserable existing in this "somewhere in between" stage where he exhibits signs of romantic interest, but is always out of reach and then tells you about other women he's interested in. He's dangling the carrot. No more friendship or be friends, normal friends, with no more physical contact, touching, flirting...basically the way you behave with your other platonic friends
see the review