Nc a Month an a half he continues to text

Dating/relationship 4 months. He treats me wonderfully and we always had fun. He is bad at opening up speaking emotions but is a giver who loves. He does not have a big history of lengthy long-term relationships. Though he is not a player. We broke up over a bad miscommunication end of a wine night two months ago. We both somewhat apologized the next morning with him still holding on with a grudge. He broke up a week later stating were 2 different people, and he ran. I was crushed. I didn’t try to contact him, only once to return an item he had. We are only on each other’s Instagram and when I have posted a photo of myself he likes it every time. I have no idea if he is seeing anyone as far as I know or can tell on social media he isn’t.

After returning something of mine a week later, I decided to start NC. He has reached out since Thanksgiving every 4-6 days via text. I started NC immediately and have not reached out only replied. I tried to ignore its small text/pictures daily for 3 days Thanksgiving weekend and finally gave in the 4th text with acknowledgment. He only asked once how I was doing, I replied I’m doing great. I have been very brief and following the NC rules mainly because I do not want to fall into the friend category. I have no desire to be friends with him.

It is continuing, before Christmas, he texts his tree with comments and I didn’t respond for 8 days. When I did reply in December we chatted text both reminiscing some fun times and both agreed after the fight he didn’t know how bad my stress was and everything that was going on with me (layoff, career, stress) and he is bad with communication with his emotions. I expressed owning my part in it, stress, my mind was all over.
I realize now I was thinking too much with high anxiety and ended up smothering him I think with my insecurities. I ended that chat expressing I was not myself and things are different now with a job and less stress. We didn’t speak of any intimacy nor seeing him, I threw in their I think of him sometimes and I miss talking to him. But I did not mention anything in a future tense. I ended with a kind goodnight. His communication and my feedback have always been kind with him popping in every 4- days.

Since he continues to send a fun text and most recent is him reaching out asking about my dog. I responded, and it ends with him telling me his schedule of last week, NY football game out of town and he would take up an offer to meet up to see my dog and he wrote: e will definitely be in touch, much appreciated. I get the feeling he is confused about possibly missing me, as he became my best friend, we spoke daily. I will not be reaching out as I haven’t been. But how do I handle this, let him come to me and suggest meeting u, supposedly for my dog? Or do I directly ask him questions once he reaches out to me?