Should I just give up on him? Is he trying to let me down easily?

There's this guy I really like that Im friends with. before I couldn't go out with him before because I was with a guy but the relationship failed and Ive been single and I had already liked him. Well I asked him out because hes shy and he said he would think about it because he doesn't want to ever lose our friendship and if we ever broke up he wouldn't want us to stop being friends because that's what happened with his last girlfriend. well after him saying that he acted ok like i cud tell he liked me we still texed and even called me, he showed some signs he like me. Well he thought about it and he said he "its not that i don't like you. i just think we should be friends for right now. i just don't want a girlfriend right now" what does it mean? is he trying to let me down easily or does he like me?