Short, but passionate fling

Hi my case is a bit different than the posts I’ve read on here, so I hope someone is able to provide me with the advice I need.

I’m a female, 17 years old, and I just had a really intimate summer with a boy, also a rising senior in high school, that lives halfway across the world and just happened to be spending the summer in my home town. Even though we’re young we’ve both been in intimate relationships before, both of which lasted longer than the duration we were together. However, this was the first time either one of us felt like we’ve been in love and being with him made me happier than I’ve ever felt before and he felt the same.

Anyways, when he went home we tried long distance and it didn’t really work out. After a couple weeks he told me he couldn’t be my long distance boyfriend because it hurt him too much emotionally to not be able to see me for another year. He told me he still loved me and was pissed that he could not carry on his passion in a LDR but what he felt with me was real and he’d like to try again in a year, two, or even 10- however long it took. I understand that he was being realistic since we’re both going through our last year of high school and therefore, being laid down with a lot of stress on college, but I’ve been very dissappointed because I wanted this to work out.

We’ve been looking at many of the same colleges in the same region so I assumed that we’d stay together through the year and be together, if it still felt right, next summer and school year.

He asked me if we could still talk, as friends but I told him I needed some space to settle in (and I guess try the no contact rule), but what I really need is someone to tell me if this is worth fighting for. I’m young and I have a big future ahead of me, but my relationship with him felt passionate and real even if it was just for a few months. He told me he still loves me and he’ll wait and give me all the space I need, but should I just move on? I’m not sure how I should handle this situation because I’m not sure if this was just a lustful summer fling or if its just as real as it feels.

I’m also not really sure if any part of the no contact rule should be altered because of our age, distance, and situation.

Also, if the answer is to move on I’d appreciate hearing that even though it’s against the guidlines

Thanks