Hi OP, I totally get it. You kinda know it would be best not to text again just now but you want to and that internal conflict wrecks your head and leaves you obsessing about it.
I would say text. Text as often as you want to and let it all out, how you feel and the frustration, doubt, roller coaster emotion. Address your words to him ONLY DO NOT SEND IT TO HIM.
Write it out, exactly what you want to say and when you feel compelled to do so even if one text is a total rant for ignoring you and the next one thirty minutes later is an outpouring of dramatic emotion detailing how you feel about him. Write it and send it to your own number, trust me, it helps.
Second thing is do not set yourself a nigh on impossible goal like never texting again (unless he texts you). Most people in your position (ie with the feelings / vested interest) can't stick to that and because it is so unattainable it's easier to break by justifying it to yourself "I am obviously going to text him at some point again in my life so I might as well do it now".
Whereas if you say you are going to wait a week / two a month then although it's still hard there is an end in sight so you will push on through those last few days or weeks and even maybe go a little bit further.
In the meantime you are still texting, you are talking to "him", you have an outlet but he doesn't receive them, you do. At some point in the future you will read back through those texts and either smile because he is sat next to you on the sofa as your partner, laugh because you have remained good friends but you totally got over your crush or inwardly cringe as you cannot believe how invested you were in this person and now you are with someone else who makes you wonder what you ever saw in the original dude. Who knows.
I apologise for the very long message, I have a bit of insomnia and also totally relate to what you are going through. You don't really give enough information about why you think he knows you fancy him and how he is leading you on as opposed to just being
a mate. What I would say though is, men are funny creatures (as are women but perhaps not in the same way). No-one can examine someone else's actions, and say for sure "He's just not that into you" because people don't all fit into convenient little behaviour boxes despite what the online "dating coaches" (not sure when that became an actual job, I assume shortly before "blogger" appeared as a career choice) would have you believe.
Are there trends in behaviour? Sure, but I think some people miss the point when using the "He's Just Not That Into You" movie to back up the whole WALK AWAY / SAVE YOUR DIGNITY / I WOULD NEVER PUT UP WITH THAT SORT OF BEHAVIOUR argument. The Justin Long character spends most of the film detailing exactly why certain male behaviour means that they are "not that into" Gigi and goes down the typical road of labelling her "needy" and telling her that her behaviour is scaring men away, she shouldn't call them or demonstrate any interest yet she proactively calls him all the way through. She even demonstrates interest in him which he rejects pointing out that the signs were not there from him.
Yet the conclusion of this is that it's not really right is it? The rules and the assumptions and the whole "women who call a man first or let him know that they are interested and worry about these things far too much early on are crazy / needy / bunny boilers" is not the real point or enduring message of the film. Cos they all go out the window don't they when he blinking falls in love with her WITH FULL AWARENESS of her "crazy". There are no rules here just what appears to be yet another way to blame women and excuse men for poor behaviour 😂
Most of the well meaning friends who have given me that sort of advice in the past are either married / in long term relationships and haven't actually had to go on a date with someone new since somewhere around the turn of the millennium. Otherwise they are resolutely single / can take it or leave it rather than immersed in today's highly disposable and often disappointing dating world.
So in somewhat long winded conclusion, don't beat yourself up for wanting to text this guy, it doesn't make you weak or stupid. A lot of us have been there. Several times. We may very well be intelligent, confident women with high self worth in terms of career / academic achievements, yet that does not automatically qualify us to correctly read the behaviour or intentions of someone who we are emotionally invested in.
Final thought (I promise, for the benefit of anyone who has got this far and is still remotely interested ). While I think it's totally legit to keep an open mind, continue friendship while being aware that you want something more and essentially not give up hope without classing yourself a loser AT THIS STAGE, you do also need to acknowledge that this can't go on forever.
Sure, make it easier on yourself by writing your true feelings in texts he will never get while keeping your real life interactions with him on a different and more responsive level. See if you can move it forward at the right time, some guys just need a push in the right direction. HOWEVER, if he is clearly not returning feelings further down the road you have to think about moving on. Start looking to date other people, quietly break the non friendship based emotional ties.
I have a female friend a little older than you who has a crush on a mutual male friend. She told him how she felt when she was drunk at a party last year and they kissed. Snogged like teenagers would be a more accurate description but you get the drift. That was March. Of 2018. Almost EIGHTEEN MONTHS ago. Nothing further of an intimate nature has happened since then and while they hang out together he clearly does not want either a serious relationship or a casual fling with her. If he did, it would've happened by now. He makes jokes when she is not there about how if doesn't have any success at dating he "will just have to end up marrying Josephine".
That's not her real name by the way but the point is that although right now you are far away from that make sure it doesn't happen. Don't be THAT girl. Don't become Josephine, god love her 😀
That was a pretty long final thought.
As Muriel / Mariel of 'Muriel's Wedding' said to her hot but ultimately completely incompatible husband as she was leaving him, "good luck in the games" x