20F, 29M – Should I tell him how I feel, or is it better to move on?

I'm 20F, he's 29M, and we've known each other for about 2 years.

When we first became close, he hadn't fully moved on from his ex. During that time, I was there for him a lot. I listened to him, supported him, and tried to help him through one of the hardest phases of his life. I genuinely cared about him and never expected anything in return.

As time went on, I became emotionally attached and started developing feelings for him. I never told him because I was scared he might not feel the same, so I decided to distance myself instead. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made because I cared about him deeply.

The confusing part is that I don't think he's a bad person. He listens to me, and I know he cares in his own way. But he's also inconsistent sometimes. He can take a long time to reply or seem emotionally unavailable, and that uncertainty makes me anxious. That's one of the reasons I set boundaries to protect myself.

I never asked for clarity assuming friends from both of sides

Now I'm thinking about telling him how I felt not because I'm expecting a relationship, but because I don't like hiding something so important. At the same time, I'm scared that even if he says he likes me too, his inconsistency could still end up hurting me.

So I'm stuck between two choices:

Stay silent, keep my boundaries, and move on.

Be honest once, accept whatever happens, and then move forward.

Am I overthinking this? If you were in my position, what would you do? I'd really appreciate honest opinions, even if they're not what I want to hear.