Tell me- should I text him?

Let's start with the backstory. This guy is my father's friend's son. Let's call him R. R and I met about 4 years ago for a camping trip. We hit it off immediately (our fathers were there). Just as friends. We started texting and calling about 6 months later- he lives 4 hours from me, so we could never hang out. This has continued. We usually go on the camping trip 1-3 times a year, but every time it's like we're the best of friends (maybe more). When we first started talking (3 years ago, this episode lasted around 3 months) I was OBSESSED with him- convinced he liked me etc. He had to tell me he didn't like me 3 times, that his mom told him to tell me. However we kept in contact with eachother after.
Fast forward to 2017. I consider us good friends. I find my own boyfriend because I realize R doesn't like me in that way. Well, before R, our dads, and I left to go camping, R met my boyfriend briefly. Then on that camping trip (around 9 months ago) he was almost... cold, mocking. It felt like he didn't want anything to do with me, he kept teasing me (and not about my boyfriend)
About a month after that trip I stopped texting and calling him, due to a new phone (I couldn't text him from it).
Now, about 1 month ago I saw a phone call from him. He didn't leave a voicemail and when I texted his sister to ask why he'd phoned me, she said it "was an accident the phone he had been using is acting up". Now this is weird because he phoned me from their house (landline) phone- those don't just dial the wrong number.
About 2 weeks ago I found out that he had a phone that he could text me from. I wasn't clear on why we stopped talking. Do you think I should just text him (my dad wants to give me his number) and make it clear that if he doesn't want to talk I'll leave him alone, but if he does he can finally text me? I can't call him as he's away right now, from home. What should I do? He's so much better than me.