And now that he is your best friend's boyfriend, you should keep your distance. It was a long time ago that he chased you. You rejected him from the beginning, so just keep rejecting him. You know, that hesitant attitude will make the other person misunderstand. It may be in trouble then. So just keep it tidy. Don't drag your feet, don't give each other any chance to fantasize.
Let's talk about the former fitness instructor. He and your best friend are boyfriend and girlfriend now. He should be with your best friend. He will take you home at night, so it's just you two, right? It is easy to be misunderstood in itself. He also said that he still likes you. Have you ever wondered what he meant by that? Is that what he should say? He is a bit like eating in a bowl and thinking about what is in a pot. There may be something wrong with his mentality.
Finally, I wish you good luck and hope you can understand it yourself. Some things just need to be crisp and neat. Otherwise, it will be difficult for misunderstanding to happen in the end.