Is it normal for a girl to fall in love with a gay?

I have a best friend in college. I really don't asks him if he is a gay or a bisexual because I don't want to offend him. All I know is that he always flirts with boys. In fact we became very close because I always gives him love advices and he always tells me about his boyfriends. And there are a lot of times that our friendship had been tested but those trials only strengthen us, and makes us closer to one another. But later, I feel something is changing between us. I observed a lot of things that are out of the ordinary happening between us. There are times that I think he is flirting with me because sometimes he tickles me and makes me laugh, holds my hands, touches my hair, always teases me. We even spent hours, even a day texting with one another, shows concern and care. There also came a point wherein his other group friends complained that he is not mingling with them anymore because we were always together. The best thing is he really knows me-both the positive and the negative! There are times that how matter I intend to hide my problems, he still knows it. I asked him how and he said he can read my eyes. But in spite of all those signs, I never asks him if he feels something for me or not. Then the twitch of my story came, adding to the conflict, is when I ACCIDENTALLY fall in love with him. First I tried to ignore it but the more I tried to get rid of it, the more it deepen. I tell my feelings to one of my close friends so that I can asks for any advise but later she busted me by telling by best friend that I have a crush on him,.. IN FRONT OF ME!!! His reaction???...--------> blushing but saying-->"You should not fall for me". Presently, I'm avoiding him and he is also doing the same. We're classmates so we can't really avoid one another totally. But compare our relationship in the past, we are not that close anymore. Deep inside, I really want to cry, thinking that I lost him, I lost my best friend. I'm always lonely now. I have still lots of friends but I know being with him is the only thing that could make me happy. We are still friends... But the awareness is now there. I know that he knows I have feeling for him. The sad thing is I don't know if he also feels the same. And I'm not expecting it anymore. What I only wants is to FORGET MY LOVE FOR HIM AND MOVE ON!!! Anyone reading my story,.. please tell me, does my best friend also feels something for me or am I just imagining everything? Is he a gay or a bisexual? Is there any possibility that a gay be a GUY? Will our friendship blooms into something deeper?.. love? Can I regain back our friendship?