Is he doing more than a friend or nice guy?

I can't work out if this guy I've known for 4 months is interested or just nice.

A mutual friend of ours had been pointing me out to him and according to the friend, he always had the mmmm yeah look on his face, ha, that's how he described it. But the friend didn't give too much away, either.

Then we started hanging out and immediately hit it off. But according to the friend, he keeps everything close to his chest and his last relationship was awful so he's more cautious.

I feel like he likes me. There is the constant intense eye contact (but then at other times he was look away really fast when I catch him looking) and smiling and he holds the door open for me, touches my back, compliments me (on how I look but also on things like my handwriting and my humility-- which is a quality he told our mutual friend that he looks for) teases & flirts, defends me when other people make a comment about me (even if they were kidding), gets sulky when I talk to other guys & cheers up as soon as I'm talking to him again, initiates the conversation, waits around to talk to me/be around me, said my ex is an idiot though he's never met him. He wants to talk about what troubles me but I can't open up when there's no guarantee if he cares or he's just making conversation.

Yesterday I was very down & because it was partly due to not knowing if he's just being a friend or wants more, I gave him the cold shoulder, was short with him, and other than put his hand on my back and say "oh ok" when someone told him I was tired, he didn't seem to care. I went home telling myself to move on...an interested guy would have been more caring/concerned.

Then he sent me a message that night saying hey hope you're feeling better, then called to say he hates texting and said he hoped he didn't upset me that day and he had noticed I was down. I was the one to end the conversation...he was still on the phone despite running out of things to say.

I still don't know if he's just being nice, a friend or wants something more. I've never had this happen. Guys who like me are so obvious & I haven't dealt with more cautious or respectable types. If he does like me he might think he's showing it but I really don't know. I worry that I'm overanalysing it because I like him.

Is he doing more than a friend or "nice guy?"

It depends on the situation, but if he is paying specific attention to you, he most likely likes you as more than a friend. His sensitivity is a givaway. When you like someone, you become more sensitive to them.

Yes, I think he was probably interested in you. And then you gave him the cold shoulder. At some point, women who do that kind of nonsense need to learn that it's usually unproductive.

If I were him, my attraction for you just went way down, and I wouldn't bother with you anymore.

Ask one of his friends to ask him what he thinks of you. But by the sounds of things he seems like he is interested but not too sure how to go about things.

I think he does like you, he just might have another type of technique of approaching girls.

One thing you have to do is notice how he treats other girls, carefully watch the differences. If you notice he treats you more special, then I will say talk to him. Try to find a place where the two of you can sit and talk about your feelings. Maybe go for a coffee or something. If he's not interested in you, you can tell him that its ok, you just wanted to make things clear and it will depend from both of you if you want to keep being friends or what. Just try to not leave the relationship in an awkward situation, specially if you work or go to school together.