Ladies and gents.. advice please. (This is verrrrry long BTW)?

It does sound like she likes you and is playing hard to get in order to test your sincerity and also perhaps because she has just come out of a relationship. I think in order to prove that you care about her you should only focus in on her, say what's in the past stays in the past and that you're a changed man. Maybe in time she'll see you're serious and if you really care about her then all the abstaining and waiting will be worth it.