Dear Mae:

You wrote: “the main issue was that he never changed the way he acted towards me after confessing that we liked each other. Which was detached, and passive about the whole thing… not to mention he was still getting over a heartbreak”.

The heartbreak that he suffered was following a relationship with another woman to whom he felt attached (not detached) and active, seeking her company, pursuing her (not passive), correct?

If so, if he acted attached and active with his ex girlfriend but has acted detached and passive with you, I imagine that he likes you way less than he liked her or as much as you like him, and that is why he ghosted you for two years and why the relationship is stagnant.

Finding a man who does pursue you, who is actively seeking your company is a way better idea than trying to create a desire for you in a man who does not desire you (beyond occasional hookups, that is).

anita