I did this a year ago and now feel stupid.
We worked together at the time (I no longer work there) we were close, we didn't always work the same shifts but we stayed in touch even when we weren't.
I was interested initially, he asked me for a coffee and I accepted, I went but wasn't feeling it in the end. I didn't really know what I wanted.
After our coffee he asked me for a date, but I stupidly made an excuse I was busy. He took it well and didn't push it any further. A few days later he started to talk to me again, not mentioning a date at all, just normal chatting. I admit I was very cold with him and took days to reply, he ended up saying he hoped he hadn't made me uncomfortable by asking me out and he hadn't intended to.
I didn't want to say the truth so I just claimed I'd been ill. I felt guilty so I started chatting again and then a week later I said we should go for another coffee.
We did and then I was a bit distant again afterwards. I stopped speaking to him unless he spoke to me first, he asked to meet again and I just made an excuse, I pretended I hadn't seen his text.
In the end he messaged me being honest and saying he should distance himself a little as it was all confusing his head and he was attracted to me.
I felt bad, pretended it was about work and not about him but that I understood. I said I didn't want things to be awkward with us at work but he assured me he'd never be awkward with me. He took my rejection well and said he understood and that it was no big deal kinda thing.
And to be fair he never mentioned it again whatsoever, he was never funny with me, he was friendly but never pushed boundaries. We didn't talk as much but eventually he started to talk more, though not as much as he used to.
I admit I never initiated any conversation first and I was deliberately being cold in my messages.
He seemed to get the hint from my coldness and stopped messaging.
About a month later he asked how I was doing and said he never heard from me anymore. I felt bad so started to be a bit more friendly.
Months had passed by this point, it was his birthday and he invited me out with a group. I felt bad so I said I'd go, but then made an excuse in the end. If I saw him at work I was friendly but I never, ever initiated any convo first and I think this upset him.
I also started to ignore some of his messages which I feel bad for. He got the hint and completely stopped talking to me or acknowledging me, and we've not spoken since .
I think he didn't understand why I didn't even want a friendship. He didn't pressure me about the dating at all, the worst he did was ask for a date and said I was attractive. When I rejected him he dropped the issue immediately and was still friendly but respected my boundaries.
I know I hurt him by rejecting him as a person and being cold. Should I apologise? I don't know why I did this tbh he didn't deserve it. He was probably confused as I used to speak to him lots then started ignoring unless he spoke to me first.