Ex-Boyfriend Ignored Request for Job Reference, Feeling Confused

I'm in a bit of a tough spot and could use some outside perspective. Here's the situation: My ex (43M) and I (31F) broke up in August after dating for 8 months. We had a healthy relationship until I realized he didn't want a future of living with anyone or eventually marriage like he had led on in the beginning. Despite the breakup, we parted ways respectfully and haven't spoken since.

Fast forward to this week, I'm about to receive a job offer, but the recruiter needs several references. Given that my ex-boyfriend was a supervisor at a previous job where we worked together for 10 months, I thought he would be a suitable reference. I reached out to him and he didn’t answer so lefta voicemail asking for his permission to provide his contact information to the recruiter. I made it clear that I understood if he didn't want to be a reference and respected his decision.

However, he actually didn’t respond at all and I can't help but feel confused and a bit hurt by his lack of response. We parted ways amicably, and I never intended to intrude on his life or reopen old wounds. All I needed was a professional reference.

I'm left wondering if he's intentionally avoiding me and . Should I follow up with him, or should I take his silence as a clear message and move on? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!