Does my best guy friend like me or her?

okay so my guy best friend jack and i have been friends since 6th grade but just got really close this year in 8th. we talk 24/7 and alot of people always bother us about being a cute couple and everyone thinks he likes me. i even thought so too but now im not sure. today hes been talking about this girl hes been talking to ALLLL DAY named danielle. all he talked about all day was about how she was so nice and amaizng. he even said she was nicer then me, but then said jk i was special. idk what that ment though. and then around 11 he ims and goes "im so happy and i cant tell u why:P" and i told him to tell me, he said if i tell him who i like hel tell me about the girl he likes, but i dont know her that well. i told him i dont like anyone and i asked if he liked danielle. he said no. then i asked if it was his other best friend susan. he said no. then i asked if she went to our school. he said "yes but no....well no but" and i have no idea what thats suppose to mean. then i said its defintally danielle and he said no its not. i asked what grade shes in and he said hes not telling me. then he left and told me to have fun thinking. my friend said he could be playing a mind game and he could like me, but i doubt that. i really think he likes danielle, because i saw some of there conversations and their very flirty, the way he use to be with me. i dont know what to think! is he playing mind games? also if he did like me i dont know what i would say. because one hes the cousin of my best friend, and weve already discussed that it would be weird if i dated him. 2, he doesnt like his any of his past girlfriends even as friends anymore, which are 3 and i dont want anything to ruin our friendship or make it diffrent then it is now:/ and most importantly ive never had a boyfriend before and ive never been put in the situation when a guy asked me out themselves, so this is all new to me and i have no idea what im doing. please help!