I'm in love with my best friend who is leading me on.
I've been best friends with this guy for a long time now. He's someone who I trust completely and can talk to for hours without feeling awkward or bored, he's someone who I trust completely and value over anyone else.
I've been in love with him for about 6 months - we talk every single day for hours and we do things on weekends. The things he did lead me to believe that my feelings are maybe reciprocated (he would hold my hand, tell me he loves me, ask me to live with him when we leave school) and just general things that aren't typical in a platonic friendship. Other examples of his behaviour is he says (jokingly?) that he masturbates to my pictures, he found a picture of a model who looks just like me(and she does) and set it to his desktop wallpaper, he constantly blows me kisses, whenever we're together he just has to be touching me - whether it's holding my hand or just leaning against me.
In fact, our mutual friend was convinced that he loved me. He gets noticeably possessive when he thinks another guy likes me and clearly jealous.
However, he told me recently that he is still in love with his ex girlfriend from almost a year ago. My heart is absolutely shattered. I've never loved or had such a strong bond with anyone in my entire life - I'm a rational and unromantic person for the most part but I truly thought he was my soul mate. And all the behaviour he displayed towards me was explained by the fact that I also found out that he got off with random girls at a party.
I know the best way to get over someone is to distance yourself from them, but he's my best friend. I can't just cut him off. But it's too painful to talk to him everyday knowing my feelings are always going to remain unrequited, and it's made even worse by how he constantly flirts with me, when he himself feels nothing romantic towards me. I'm just so conflicted. I've never been so sad or confused in my entire life. I can't deal with being around a guy who constantly gives me hope that he may one day love me, but I can't bear the thought of losing my best friend. I'm angry at him for giving me hope, but I love him. I don't know why he's been acting this way towards me if he doesn't love me. Any advice would be appreciated.