Can we go back to being friends?

Reading your msg. It sounds like he can't see you two being more than just friends. He know you want more from him but IMO you are taking to much of his job away from him. Let him do the initiating.

He told you you are a best buddy-meaning friend. Step on with your life. You stated you don't like rollercoaster rides. He doesn't want to continue causing you pain. IMO he is using distance from you so you can stop expecting more from him.

My first question was what are his reasons why it would never work. You obviously feel they are valid, which is good but I'm just curious why you left them out and what they are. Maybe that might be a better insight on our end— Just a thought, but you certainly don't have to share and respect the privacy.

This is my take. I think he does value you as a person. I think he does find you attractive, and likes being with you. If whatever it is that is going on in his life is significant enough for him to not be able to pursue anything with you, that will outweigh you. I think he gets caught up in the moment, and momentarily forgets why he can't be with you and then stops to think about it afterwards and goes back into 'no no' mode. I think he sees what it's doing to you, and he knows he's partly to blame and it's easy to get caught up in the moment again, and then again he steps back into reality and realizes he needs to cool down and pull back otherwise this will continue to hurt and mislead you.

At this point, I think he may be frustrated with you because you say you can handle the friendship, where in all actuality you can't. That doesn't make you wrong, that makes you human and in love with your friend which is not abnormal just in this case it's been layed out to you why he can't. You keep telling him you can handle it, and then come back and tell him not. So where I would be, and where I have been, is remaining friends with someone but if they continued to push the issue I would either A) avoid and ignore all attempts of communication or seeing of one another; or B) talk with them, but as soon as it started swinging towards 'intimate or more than friends talk' would ignore it/them until next time. Now, that is only if it were someone who I have a good foundation and/or history with ie friend, exes, etc. Because it's not that I don't care about them, just not in that capacity. That's not to say he couldn't have romantic feelings for you, but he knows it isn't going to work and rather than keep pushing it with him he would hope that you both would share the feeling of knowing you do deeply care, it just isn't in the cards right now or maybe ever.

My advice? Don't do anything more. Let him come to you. I hate to say it because of course everyone is different but I'm thinking he is going to be leary now to even want to reach out to you because he may think it's just going to be the same thing again: you can handle it, then you can't.