how to guide him back to islam gently

Salam alaikum, I really need advice. There's this brother I know, he was born Muslim, and we have a messy situation between us. I saw hints about his faith before, and then during an awkward talk he finally said he doesn’t believe in Allah or Islam and thinks it’s foolish. I want to ask why, but our vibe is already so tense-we barely talk even though we have feelings, because he chose to be a non-believer, and that hurts me deeply. How can I bring him back to the deen without pushing him away? I'm scared sending him reminders will make things worse. I want him so bad it hurts. Is this real love or just attachment?