My ex lives next door to me, we are still friends, I'm still in love with him, and he doesn't want to try again.. But he messages me every day.. How do I move on from this? It's been on/off for years

I lived with my ex next door to me for years. It was very difficult to see him everyday after he broke my heart. It came as a shock to me when he broke up with me because it was sudden and not at all expected. I wasn't ready to break up with him so I tried everything to talk him out of it. I cried for days in front of him and texted him almost everyday, finding a reason to talk to him. It wasn't easy going through this knowing he was living right next door, moving on like nothing happened and having fun. He still expected us to stay friends because we saw each other everyday and had same group of friends. I tried being friends but I couldn't do it. I cut off all the contact with him and also lost a few friends while doing that. I was still heartbroken for months and having to see him and my friends together, without me, like I didn't even existed. A year later, I was approached by a friend to hang out, who stopped talking to me when I cut all contact with my ex and our group. It was hard seeing him after all this time but he tried to text me and talk to me hoping we could be friends. But at this time he also had a girlfriend which I didn't know. I didn't understand what he was expecting from me or why he wanted to be friends. He started texting me everyday and finding reasons to talk to me. It was weird at first, and I knew I hadn't moved on but I also didn't want him back after how much I suffered because of him. We went on and off after that for months, I still had grudges from the past and he still didn't have a care in the world. But this time I knew what I had to do. Instead of crying and hurting myself, I came back stronger and showed that I didn't need him. I had the strength and power to cut off all contact from him and he knew I wasn't going to be there forever. He didn't want to be with me but he always wanted me to be there with him and I realized I wasn't going to give him the power to use me. I had moved on from this, knowing he would always want me back if I wasn't there for him. We tried to be in each others life as just friends and nothing more. We became even more close as friends and tried to keep it that way, instead of trying to be more and ruining it. It was the best thing that ever happened to us, and he realized his feelings for me and how he losing me was a mistake. My other ex's and other friends always thought it was weird how we could be friends with each other after being in relationship, but they didn't know the journey we had to go through to finally understand each other and respect each other. I would just like to advice anyone who is going through this, that it's not easy to suddenly become friends with your ex. It takes a lot of time and closure to forgive someone who has hurt you. If you want to move on, then you have to cut every contact with your ex for at least 3 months. This time is for you to heal and focus on yourself. Time will heal your wounds and things will get better in the end.

I think the best way to move on is to tell him how you feel. Try to agree and discuss on making it last

Firstly, I would suggest a proactive approach to moving on with your life is finding the strength to completely cut ties. I know you and your ex are neighbors so feeling like you can achieve having no contact with him may seem difficult or even impossible but, if he has made up his mind yet, still continues to contact you everyday then that's not fair on you. You may even think about the possibility talking to him and discussing how the constant messaging and contact everyday etc is not allowing you to get over him and move on. If he doesn't want to be with you and chooses to continue to talk to you, then you will have to be one the one to be strong and not give in to responding to him.