I would’ve felt confused too if this happened to me, but I commend you on stepping back and realising you don’t want to cut these people out of your life.
These days I try to take interactions as they come and not presume or assume what others may or may not be thinking. Life is tough enough for sure without this overthinking I for one am prone to doing.
Hoping you’re feeling better today and proud of yourself for making a good choice about how you react.