I doubt anything actually changed, the response to kissing could have been nothing more than "oh yes he's still mine"...

9 months? you should've developed something with this guy by now and have had ample time with getting to like his kissing. You should atleast have been fond of him, yet your only attachement to him is your issue with being alone.

Idk his reason for staying with you, desperation, unrequited love, who knows, you never said, just mentioned "hope". But you... I think you're being very selfish, holding onto a guy you don't even like simply because you have an aversion to being alone.

Not cool, not fair. Be a friend and let him go, let him find someone who actually wants him, and not just the appearance of a bf/relationship.

Both of you are being robbed blindly by this setup, neither's needs or wants are actually being met, so really, stop wasting eachother's time with false hope.

Hopefully you'll soon find a proper bf, you know, not a pretend one.