So Confused By Him

I met Brad 3 weeks ago. He is a friend of a friend of a friend. We hit it off the day we met and ended up going for our first date that night after hanging out with the friend group. Since then, he texted me every day and we went out on a more few dates. Then on date #3 he told me that the day we met, he’d broken up with his girlfriend. They’d been on and off for the last 2 years and it was a very toxic and abusive relationship that really messed him up. On top of that, he said the last 5 years have been the “worst of his life” so he isn’t looking for a relationship. He didn’t completely close the door on it, saying “maybe in the future” and asked if we could still be friends.

Since becoming “just friends,” his texts have become odd. He still texts me daily, but with just a “good morning” or “hey how are you?” or “how’s your day going?” I answer then I don’t hear from him until the next day. I’ve tried texting and asking him questions, and the first time he answered “no. how are you this evening? Since then, he doesn’t even acknowledge the texts I send or questions I ask. This has been going on for a week now. I’ve stopped initiating contact and I now answer his texts with “good. How are you?” knowing he won’t respond. I’m just really confused with this. Like, HE is the one who wanted to be friends. And if he’s changed his mind, can’t he just tell me or even ghost me!? I’d actually prefer he ghost me then send these random “how are you” texts every day then disappear until the next day. Like, what is he thinking? Should I even ask him what’s going on? Like, I know he’s recovering from the worst years of his life and this toxic relationship. But like, this is weird, right?