My best guy friend

I have a best guy friend and I've been friends with him for nearly 5 years now. He has been dating several women until last year. Tried proposing to three gals, two didn't work out and one worked out but ended/broke up last year. And I was/am always his go to person for any problems he would like to share. So whenever he had a crush on any gal, he always used to stop by my place share everything about her and get my thoughts or feedback etc.

However, things started to change in the past one year, he has still been seeing other gals but not seriously like before(like before, he was giving flowers, gifts etc but nothing as such for the past one year). Frankly he never was able to find a gal who he seriously got involved with in the past one year. While he was dating other gals, he started becoming close to me. Like we've gotten so close to each other that we joke around about anything and everything. Watch movies sitting on couch right next to each other, he lays his arms around my neck sometimes , fights with me playfully, tickle me etc. and always used to hang out at my place over the weekend for hours together. He started touching me a lot, which I thought was out of friendliness. And whenever am tired, he used to give me neck massage. Since he never expressed any interest in me for the past 5 years I never really took his behavior seriously, just thought he was being friendly with me. But I should admit that I've always liked him since the day I met but never really expressed my feelings towards him. So one weekend, we ended up watching a movie and after a while he started touching me and became so close to me that he started groping me and I was half naked. He caught me off guard and I couldn't understand what was going on just took me by surprise. Finally I stopped him saying it's hurting. So he apologized for that and left for the day. The next day he stopped by and apologized again and said I don't want to lose our friendship, at the end of the day we both are opposite sexes and what happened today shouldn't be understood as something else.

Frankly I don't understand what his statement exactly meant. Does he like me at all or was it just lust that made him act like that? Can a guy just make a physical move if he doesn't have any kind of attraction/liking towards a gal? And what confused me was he never kissed me, but directly started this groping act which raises all sorts of questions. I can't stop thinking about this and need some advice from someone.

My answer is the same as last time you asked :)

It sounds like he loves playing the field and having several women on his go to list. I think that hormones took over and he started touching you, then realized after the fact that it shouldn't have happened. He came back to tell you he values your relationship, but basically said (from what I interpret) that it shouldn't have happened and he hopes it doesn't ruin your friendship

I can relate to this :/

Perhaps he likes you more than a friend and was testing the waters and said what he said after all was said and done as a protective shield of sorts so he doesn't feel like any more of an ass as he already does.

Good friendships are few and far between; good ones. If you truly dig this man and dig him deep, test the waters as it seems your both already dipping your toes.

He's a guy, he was horny, thought you would be down for some sex, you stopped him, he realized you weren't going to be into FWB, he backed off.

He's just comfortable with you that is all. If you need to know if it was more you will have to ask him and share how you feel, and take it from there.

There is one draw back about dating someone you have been friends with for so long. There is no mystery, so there won't be that sexual build up that intensifies attraction. So getting a relationship off the ground will prove to be difficult. People are different when in a relationship, so what you found in them as a friend may not be there when things get intimate.