In telling you that he didn’t click with you, he wanted to make it clear that he isn’t available to you romantically at the moment.
In keeping your phone number, he is leaving room for the possibility of reconnecting with you in the unknown future.
You are his backup.
There is normally something else or someone else in his life that has a higher priority.
He keeps that phone number, knowing he wants to have someone to fall back on if he should get bored with whoever he is with at the moment, whoever he is trying to get, or just gets bored in general.
Guys do this habitually.
They keep certain phone numbers of girls they have talked to in the past with the intent of having that girl as an option in the future.
At this moment in time, he doesn’t want to be with the girl.
That being said, he knows that reconnecting with her in the future, if his current plans don’t work out, and he gets lonely or bored, is an option.
To this end, he sends you a text message from time to time to touch base with you.
He rarely gets into an extended conversation with you.
He keeps the texts short.
As long as he knows that you are receiving them and reading them, even though you don’t reply to them, you are showing that you continue to care for him.
This keeps you as a romantic option for him in the future.
It’s not necessarily a good sign when you are being kept as a possible option for the future.
It means that you weren’t a priority to begin with.
Talking to him in a romantic sense in the future wouldn’t have led to a long-lasting relationship nor to him taking you seriously.
You are someone who came through when he needed someone but you aren’t necessarily who he seriously wants to be with.
In addition, he kept your phone number, unsure of what he wants at this time or how much he can give of himself.
It has nothing to do with seeing someone else or keeping you as an insurance policy and has everything to do with what he is going through mentally at this time.
He has some personal or family issues that he is grappling with.
In a situation like this, a part of him wants to be with you but realizes that he can’t give all of himself.
He knows that he has a phone number of personal issues that are weighing on him and believes that it isn’t fair to draw you into them.
He keeps your phone number, hoping he gets passed these personal issues some day and date you.
This takes time.
You should question the value in waiting on him, as there are no guarantees he comes around to wanting to get to know you and be with you.
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