Is it normal i want to date my best friend?

Hi I really have strong feelings for my best friend. A little back story- I have known him for over four years and we've since graduated high school. Back in middle school in the 8th grade I had a boyfriend which whom I was having relationship problems with and we were broken up at the time. I did have feelings for my friend way before my boyfriend came into the picture and I started dating my friend for a whole 14 hours. The next day I came back and broke up with him because I was still stuck on my ex boyfriend. He was okay with it and still continued to be my friend. He admitted to me in MS that he had feelings for me but never got to express them. Couple years past and my ex boyfriend and I finally called it quits with each other this past July. My friend and I have still remained friends until we both started college. We attend the same college so we see each other often. Having a class with him he told me that someone liked me which I was confused as to who. It took me a day or two to finally realize that it was him. I asked him about it and he always seemed to get defensive about it. He told me one reason for his "crush" and that's all I got out of him though he had plenty more. I guess I seemed persistent as I did constantly ask him about it which he finally told me that he saw more bad then good if we decided to get back together with one another. I was hurt and confused as to why he would tell me of this crush and not act on it or anything. I told him as well that I had feelings for him but he told me maybe later on we could try. We did not talk for almost a month after that night. Up until I finally got the nerve to apologize to him. He apologized as well and it was all smooth sailing until I asked him again about his reasons and it sparked another argument. He told me that I had a chance with him but the chance was blown and he didn't want to go back down that way. This was all over a text which I hate I'd prefer face to face. I told a good friend and my mother of the incident and they told me he probably is scared to go back that way because he's afraid its going to happen again. The thing is my ex is way out of the picture now and I would focus on him. I want to talk to him face to face but I don't know if he wants to speak to me. My feelings for him are still there and I just want to know should I keep my feelings for him and try to make a relationship with him or just be friends?