How can you tell?

Ive been talking to this guy for about a year now, and we went on a few dates and I asked him if we were going to date and he said he doesnt see it or feel it with me. So he would stop talking to me, saying hes putting distance in there so I dont get attached. Then he would start talkin to me and hanging out with me after about a month or so of not talking, and we would have sex and cuddle and everything you would do in a relationship. Then he would stop talkin to me again, and after about a month he would start again and we would hang out, cuddle more, kiss more, go to dinner and the movies more, not have sex that much, but we still would. Recently we gotten really really close...i went to LA for a business thing and he called me everyday and when I got back I went to visit him and my friends and he held me tight and told me he missed me and we hung out everyday since I got back, which was the end of January. He stopped talkin to me around the middle of Feb because he felt like we were in a relationship, but i didnt do anything. When we would hang out he would always pay for me when we went places, or he would cuddle with me while watchin a movies, lay on me, sleep on me, cuddle me and fall asleep in each others arms...he would always make the first move to touch me. So he wants space, cause he doesnt wanna feel like hes in a relationship, he said that its not a bad thing to feel likes hes in a relationship but he doesnt want it over his head that he is because what if he meets a girl or something? he said... "i think i want to stop like even if i were to to meet someone in the future i dont wanna have this over my head like i said i dont want to feel like im in a relationship and that is what its feeling like... not that its bad but everyone i talked to is always like arent you going out with machelle and im like no im not and then that gets hung over my head so like i said i dont want to feel like that" I dont understand "I dont wanna feel like im in a relationship and thats what its feelin like... not thats its bad"..well if it isnt bad why dont we get in one? I dunno, well we stopped talkin for a short time..he still wants distance, meanin us not doin anything together like sexual or by ourselves...but we are talkin, that was the shortest time apart we have had ever...well i jus needed to get it out again, How can you tell if they like you or not? based on talkin and doin stuff like ur in a relationship but not and stop then start again and feelings get stronger and you two grow closer each time you start to talk again?...i dunno....