I understand this, but some people will not respond to playing games, and of course, it could be that he thought you didn't want to know him by cutting him off - and he was only respecting your wishes.
If I tried something this with my other half then he would simply ignore me and act like there was nothing wrong. I know its the harder option, but its always better to talk than play games - like the above and you talking about being weak to talk first. Saves a lot of heartache and uncertainty on both sides