Quick pull over puzzlement

Beira

This needs a bit of context.
There is a guy in the place where I work thart since nearly a year now has been very friendly first, and then attentive of me.. making me little presents and just being toughtful.
Now.. last thing I need is a relationship but it happens I very much enjoy the little time we manage to chat while at work.
He looks quite shy, and I have been upfront about all of my past and the mess I have left behind and everything.. with all this, he never asked me out and I was quite happy with that because I don't want to committ and then have to pull back, making someone else suffer..
Tonight, very unusually (only time I am aware of actually) he was still in office when I finished. So I joked with him on overwork, and we ended up exiting work together. I tought we were to take a walk together, but just out of the building he said goodnight and practically runned away..
A big yellow-neon question mark appeared on my head and I had the walk on my own, trying to work out if I misunderstood his intentions, or what is the reason he stops me to spend time with me at work but not outside.. of late I noticed he even made a face (like: just dont talk to me about this) every time I mentioned anything related to my previous relationship..
When I got home I took my trusty Thoth and kept thinking of the situation, to pull just a card, with no spread in mind.
It came up the 3 of Swords, that was already present in my montthly spread. As this is not a big issue, I am not sure of my feelings and his at all, I tought that the meaning is that the reason he never spent time with me is that he is a bit afraid of all the old rubbish I carry with me, my own sorrow..
I checked the base card: 3 of cups, love.
At this point I pulled another card and got the Prince of wands.
He knows I am going in Italy next week and that I have to decide what to do with my daughter Kiara before taking decisions of my life here so what I interpreted is:
I have succeded in communicating him the importance I give to the issues of my past, but that (quite rightly) scares him: 3 of swords
He does fancy me: 3 of cups
But being shy and not wanting to get hurt, at this point (with only one week left be4 the trip), he wants me to go there and take my decisions be4 starting anything: the prince of wands being me, going forth (in Italy) to set out a course of action (wands).

Am I wishful thinking? I reckon it is quite challanging to read for myself on heart matters, even if I am at a stage that I wouldn't even call a crush. I just tought by his behavior HE had a crush on me and since he is nice enough, tonight I felt like giving it a go.. and he dropped it..
Not getting another easy chance like this any time soon, my dear Romeo.. see you laateeerr...

What are your toughts? I really need advice on this one since I am curious..
Thanks to everyone who will take the time to help!
 

Barleywine

I agree that the combined interpretation of the cards here is something of a puzzle. So I took a slightly different look at it.

The spread vibrates with "Three-ness:" beside the two Threes, the Prince of Wands is the 12th card in the suit, which reduces to a "3" as well. Although technically this Prince relates to the decan of the 6 of Wands, I substituted the 3 of Wands for it due to the numerology. This means that only the stability of Earth is missing from the equation. The 3 of Swords looks like deprivation to the 3 of Cups' abundance. The 3 of Wands as surrogate for the Prince is titled "Virtue," caught between pain and pleasure. I think your take that he felt scared is accurate; he doesn't know whether to expect a shut-down (3 of Swords) or a come-on (3 of Cups), and he's nervous about it. His little attentions and gifts suggest the impulsiveness of the Prince of Wands, who doesn't think much about being taken seriously. The cards add up to 9 no matter how you view them, or the Hermit. You may have tapped into an innocent (or at least immature) introvert here. But the Threes are about progress, so maybe this will go somewhere when you get back; just be sure to emphasize the "abundance" angle and not the "sorrow" part.
 

Beira

I recently got a copy of Tarot Constellations by Mary Geer that I hav3 no read yet, but I tought to look in it for the constellation of threes.
It comprises the Empress, the Hanged Man and the World, plus the three threes.
It talks of them as your Soul or Teacher cards but still the read left me with an impression of wholeness and fullfillment that to be honest I can't see in an eventual relationship with this guy.
So another interpretation is:
The sorrow I carry (3 swords) needs no less than the pure, passionate and powerful love that would be expressed by a Major to heal. The three of cups, Abundance, this time stands for friendship as in RWS based decks, to say that with this lad there is nothing more, and that if kept at that the friendship will be fruitful.
The Prince of wands, in his chariot of fire suddenly look so attractive, and so unlike Romeo..
I deserve someona that makes me feel butterflies, and that can handle a walk with a woman (I mean: cold blood is essential, no: vital for a man to be suitable to me.)
And to be honest if he wouldn't have started with his gestures I woild never had picked him out of the crowd.. and the guy deserves more than this as well. This would heve been the classic re-heated soup..
I think I am backing off this one..
Thanks for your insight Barley, you prompted me to takeConstellations out of the shelfes too