He doesn't want to be in a relationship right now?

I've been hooking up with my ex boyfriend for a month now. well he'd been ignoring my texts/calls/ims all week. and just talked to me for the first time.-apparently hed been ignoring me because he didnt want to tell me that hes not ready to be in a relationship (he just got out of a 2 1/2 year relationship in november) and he didnt want to hurt me. obviously he didnt realize ignoring me was doing more harm. well i asked him to honestly tell me if he didnt want to be in a relationship now, or if he didnt want to be in a relationship with me now--he said he just couldnt be in a relationship at all now, he wasnt ready. i guess i understand that, but then we agreed to still hang out and be friends and leave the future open-if in the future we end up together great, if not thats fine too. should i give up hope or no? this sucks because i can really see myself with him. i dont know how to act now around him-do i invite him over (we go to different colleges in the same city) or no?