So stuck and confused. please help! !

I've never been in a relationship I'm 26. I know it sounds crazy. I'm not unattractive I'm just really old fashioned. I know this guy for years through my cousins. I started to work with him about 4 months ago. I had a little crush at the start and try to stop it but it kept going stronger. I've got that sickening but good kind of feeling for him. At times it would seem like he felt the same but I've been so confused.

We get along really really long. He doesn't get along with the other coworkers like he does with me. He constantly tries to make me laugh and triesmile to impress me. When he says something in front of everyone he always checks to see if I found it funny. He constantly looks at me and smiles and I make him happy. We also go to the same gym.

I listened to two of my friends and also advice I got from magazines, youtube etc. That I should just be hone st and tell him I like him. Last week I messaged him saying I've build feelings for him and that I'm telling him to get it off my chest and if he feels the same. I said if not its okay and I'm glad to have a friend like him on my life.

He didn't reply. I waited for days and he didn't reply. I tried to think of so many reasons why he didn't and it's just confusing. He normaly replies to my messages instantly. What could I have possibly said wrong?

I messaged him about work another day and he replied. I saw him today and within the 20 minutes he hardly looked at me and only said hi and bye.

I messaged him after to tell him that I notice he's acting akward and I understand if he doesn't feel the same. I said I hope he stops feeling uncomfortable around me because we got a long so well I don't want to ruin that. I told him if he doesn't feel the same we can just forget about it. He also did not reply to this message. Now I am afraid of what he's thinking. Do I come across too desperate? I really don't get it and it hurts me the way he's acting. Why can't he just say he doesn't feel the same if he doesn't? Please help. I really like him and would love for this to go a good way and if he doesn't feel the same I would love if we still got along the same. I would be happy for him if he liked someone else. I don't have too much time left working with him so I don't want it ending bad.

Okay. Well you put it out there and he doesn't know how to respond. I'm sorry to say, but could it be he was thinking of you as a work friend; someone he got along with and had some good laughs with and maybe got uncomfy when you told him of your growing feelings?
If you do wish to salvage a friendship with him, might try texting him something like this: "okay, my bad, we work together, it was inappropriate of me to reach for you like that but can you blame me, your great but yes, I am sorry to put you in that position but hey man, I had to try. All good, you take care."

That way your letting him off the hook so to speak, offering an 'oops' while maintaining his ego.

other than that, yeah, it's rough when we dig someone that doesn't dig us in the same way. It's all about experiences right?
Maintain your integrity.

Flip side? Maybe he does like you and is uber shy. I'd still send off a text though