A few years ago when during University, an old friend asked me out. We'd had a history of drunken/sober kisses, but nothing ever came out of it - but we remained very close and eventually he asked me out.
Going into my 2nd year and being 7 hours away from him, I was reluctant, despite the fact I'd always felt the same towards him. I was scared to ruin our years of friendship when up against long distance (we were due to return to uni a week later) and hadn't really got much time to get the relationship off the ground. I told him I needed to think about it.
During a shift at work later, some co-workers hacked my phone and started asking out recent contacts on my phone - including my friend - who read the message and was excited about us dating. I had to explain it wasn't me and I also wasn't interested all at once. He was crushed, and we didn't talk for a few months. He moved back to his University and got into a relationship he is still in now - so I never got a chance to explain and assumed the damage was done.
A few years on, we are now both in long term relationships with other people and have recently got closer. The feelings are gone, but he has brought up to me what has happened. I really want to explain myself to him, as I felt he deserves to hear it, but I'm not sure if the time has passed and it would be best to let it lie.
What are people's thoughts on this?