I [29M] still really like the girl [28F] I dated this summer but we live in different cities

This summer I dated this girl I was really into. More into than anyone I’ve dated in a while. We met at work over video chat this spring. I was leaving my job and the talking really took off. She found me on instagram and we basically messaged back and forth everyday for months until we met in person. We live in different cities about a 6hr drive apart (1hr flight), but both spent the summer in another city where we both have family. This wasn’t really coordinated, it just worked out that way.

The summer was awesome. We went on dates and hung out pretty consistently. We were intimate. We have a lot in common. This was full on dating. We were texting daily and hanging out when we could. I was really interested in her and she seemed really interested in me.

At the end of the summer, we were both headed back to our respective cities, so I kicked off a conversation to talk about the situation. I didn’t really have an end goal in mind. I know part of me wouldn’t have been at peace with long distance. I did long distance before for 2 years in my last relationship and told myself not again. I also didn’t think the relationship quite had the foundation yet (still too new) to work long distance. I never said I wanted something specific, just acknowledged it was a hard situation. I wanted to know what she wanted. She eventually said she wasn’t looking to have a long distance relationship. She had also just came out of a long relationship that spring before we met. So we ended under very clear terms that there were no expectations.

We also knew we would see each other again soon. I was going to be her city in a few weeks with friends and then again a month after that for work. She was going to be in my city a month after that.

We still messaged after the summer ended. When I visited her city with my friends I stayed with her for the weekend. It was a good trip, but then I left. I went back again for work and things felt different. We got dinner once and I tried to set up a plan for us to hangout again before I left. She responds to my plan with, while she likes spending time with me, she’s worried the situation is becoming confusing for her because we don’t live in the same place and don’t know when we’ll see each other next. I responded saying that makes sense, and change the plan asking if we can do something quick like get ice cream and talk in person while we’re still physically in the same place. She’s busy and can’t. She expresses being really sorry and asks if I want to do a phone call or FaceTime in a few days after her upcoming trip. I’m cordial and say we’ll play it by ear.

At this point I think I get the message. I feel like she’s not into this anymore. Time for me to try to move on. She texts me a couple more times after this about some random stuff we have talked about, and I respond nicely, but not with much content and slowly. Why put myself through the pain of still talking like we used to? Eventually all communication stops. A couple weeks ago she visits my city and doesn’t tell me she’s here. Makes sense, we’re not even talking anymore.

Recently my company had layoffs and she reached out to checkin with me and see how I was doing. We had some fun back and forth exchanges again, but it eventually stopped.

Here’s the problem. I still like her and before she reached out to me recently I had been thinking about sending her a message letting her know how I feel. I don’t have a solution to distance. I know she wants to be in her city right now and I want to be in mine. Is it worth saying something or should I just let this die, take the rejection, and move on? Do you think I read the situation correctly?

TL;DR: I [29M] still like the girl [28F] that I dated this summer, but we live in separate cities and I don’t know if I should tell her how I feel or do something different or just let it go.