What to text when he asks you out then disappears

He didn't get nervous about meeting. He got distracted, or he matched with someone else and went that direction, or something changed in his real life. None of those things are about you. The asking-out part was real. The not-following-through is the actual signal.

This pattern also tells you something about how he handles friction or commitment, even tiny amounts. He disappears instead of saying he's busy or needs to reschedule. When you do reply, you're testing whether he's the type who can own a mistake or just slinks back pretending nothing happened.

Your reply should be short enough that it doesn't feel like you've been waiting by the phone, but direct enough that he knows you're not going to play confused. Acknowledge that time passed. Don't pretend it didn't. Then make the next move his responsibility.

The move is to respond without enthusiasm artifice, keep it brief, and give him one clear path forward (a time, a place, a suggestion). If he takes it, he takes it. If he doesn't, you have your answer and you move on without another text.

Reply quickly enough that he doesn't think you're also playing games. But don't reply instantly. That reads like you were waiting. Send it when you're doing something else, not when the message sits fresh in your inbox.

Once you reply, you're done. No follow-up texts, no checking in, no 'hey you there?' after two days. If he ghosts again after you've replied once, that's the full answer you need. Block or delete and move forward.