How do I lightly turn someone down?

Mr. Preuss said:

Best thing to do is to be upfront about it. It might not seem nice at first, but being truthful to yourself and to others is nicer than being untruthful, and if others can't see it, so be it. Ultimately, it's best to act according to what you believe is right, for giving in to the expectations of others will only be bad for you in the long run.

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mmm377 said:

Hi,
I’ve actually posted before on the loneliness thread, confused if I had a crush on someone or if it was just desperation from being lonely.
And I’m pretty sure it was just really wanting a friend, and someone to be close with. They told me they liked me and yesterday they asked if they could kiss me, I turned it down just cause I wasn’t comfortable and I told them they could kiss my cheek but I didn’t really like it, but now I just feel like I’ve been leading them on.
I like seeing them, we pretty much cuddled together the past couple times I’ve seen them and I do really like talking to them, I just don’t want to hurt them and I know how it feels to be hurt by someone not feeling the same way.
I think I’m still caught up on someone else cause when they left I kinda replaced some of my thoughts about them with a past girl I was close with.
I just feel bad for not feeling the same way and reciprocating all these things to end up not actually having a crush on them. Main reason I latched on is cause they are my first friend in a few months.
How can I communicate this with them? I just want to do it as nicely as I can

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