i confessed, now what?

hey everyone. so i (15f) confessed to this guy (14m) i like, and now i’m stuck not knowing what to do. for context, we’ve known each other for like 8 months. we live in the same gated community, and we became friends because we both play basketball. we see each other a lot, and we’re very good friends.

our dynamic is flirty but also very friendly. we’re always joking around, talking about random stuff, and there’s a lot of looking at each other, smiling, laughing, and even some touching (like knees, hands, or shoulders). it feels natural, but also… not? he treats me differently than other people, he’s super sweet and attentive, and i always feel like he’s lowkey prioritizing me.

so recently, i decided to confess. i didn’t make it a big deal or anything, i just told him i like him. his reaction was… weird? he said, “oh. interesting. i kinda expected it.” and when i asked, “so…?” he smiled and said, “i’ll think about it.” like, what am i supposed to do with that??

then later, he texted me saying he likes me too—but deleted the message the next morning. so now i’m stuck in this limbo where i’m pretty sure he likes me—his actions have been giving for months—but he won’t actually say it to my face.

i don’t wanna rush him or push him into saying anything before he’s ready, but at the same time, i’m so over waiting and overthinking every little thing. should i just give him time to figure it out and tell me when he’s ready? or do i bring it up again casually next time we’re alone? i don’t wanna ruin things. help??