Rayna wiped the flour dust from her hands on her apron and carefully closed the box she had just packed with pastries. The aroma of fresh muffins, brownies, and her signature lemon tarts filled her small bakery kitchen. She smiled as she removed her apron, knowing Melvin and Sarah would appreciate the treats. But her smile faded as she grabbed her keys and headed for her car. Her thoughts drifted to Ethan.

"How do I get through to him?" she wondered, the question echoing in her mind as she drove to Melvin and Sarah's house. She had tried to reach him by phone the previous night and that morning, but he seemed to have blocked her number.

Rayna sighed, hoping Melvin and Sarah could help. They had always been supportive, and she knew they had visited her bakery the previous day. She suspected they knew what was happening and hoped they could help fix things with Ethan. They had to. Ethan was the man for her, and she refused to believe she had ruined their relationship. The memory of his declaration of love only intensified her pain.

She pulled into Melvin and Sarah's cozy, welcoming driveway. As she parked and retrieved the pastry box, she tried to calm her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she told herself, "You've got this!"

The front door opened before she even reached it, and Sarah waddled out, her round belly leading the way. She grinned, her face lighting up at the sight of Rayna.

"Rayna! Oh, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Sarah beamed. "And you brought treats! You have no idea how much I've been craving something sweet."

Rayna laughed, handing her the box. "I thought you might like these. I made extra lemon tarts, just for you."

"You're a saint," Sarah sighed, carefully opening the box and peeking inside. "Melvin, look what Rayna brought!"

Melvin appeared in the doorway, a grin on his face. "Hey, Rayna! Come on in. Sarah's been thrilled since you called."

Rayna entered, feeling a surge of warmth and hope. Maybe they could offer the advice she needed to reconcile with Ethan.

As they settled into the living room, Sarah popped a tart into her mouth and sighed contentedly. "These are heavenly, Rayna."

"Wait till you try my new recipe," Rayna said proudly.

Then Melvin said, "We tried to reach you all day yesterday and even the night before. What happened with Ethan? He's been in a foul mood since two nights ago and won't answer his phone. Why is he so mad at you?"

Rayna shifted under their gaze. Taking a deep breath, she explained the misunderstanding at the club.

Sarah frowned. "That's why he's upset? Because of the club incident?"

Rayna nodded.

Melvin's expression softened. He sighed. "Harassment is a sensitive subject for Ethan. He experienced something similar in high school—a girl he rejected accused him of rape. It was serious; he could have gone to jail. He was probably triggered by the accusation."

Rayna felt a pang of guilt. "I didn't know. I had no idea."

Melvin said gently, "But Ethan holds grudges. Letting things go isn't easy for him."

Rayna looked to Sarah, hoping for a solution. "Do you think there's anything I can do? I ran into him at the grocery store last Saturday and…"

"You both met last Saturday?" Sarah interrupted, curious. Ethan hadn't mentioned it.

"Yeah… we both grabbed the same box of cereal. It was the last one. He said it was for you, so I let him have it," Rayna explained.

Sarah and Melvin exchanged amused glances and burst into laughter.

"What?" Rayna asked, bewildered.

Melvin chuckled, shaking his head. "Rayna, the cereal wasn't for Sarah. It was for Ethan. I only recommended the store to him because he said he was going grocery shopping."

Rayna was confused. "Wait, what? He lied? He said it was for Sarah, so I let him take it!"

Sarah giggled. Melvin added, "I can't believe he took your box of cereal yet refused to accept your apology."

Rayna shook her head in disbelief. "I believe Ethan is my soulmate. He might not think so now, but I don't want to lose him. Can you tell me what to do?" she pleaded.

Melvin said apologetically, "I wish I could help. But after seeing how upset he was because he thought we told you about his ad and made you apply, I don't want to get involved."

Sarah's eyes twinkled. "Oh, Rayna, you're beautiful. Use your feminine wiles! Ethan's still a man. And trust me, you're his Golden Sun. No matter how upset he is, he won't resist you forever."

Rayna sighed. "I don't even know how to reach him. He's blocked me everywhere."

Sarah, ignoring Melvin's hesitant warning, said, "It's okay, Mel. Rayna's practically family." She scribbled an address and gave it to Rayna. "I hope you two work things out. I'd love for you to be my sister-in-law."

Rayna smiled gratefully. Just as she stood to leave, Ethan appeared in the hallway, his expression hardening when their eyes met.

"I see you're all still plotting," he said coldly, though his heart ached. He couldn't believe this was the woman he'd been on the phone with for hours.

Rayna's heart sank, but she met his gaze. "Can we talk?"

Melvin and Sarah quickly stood, awkward smiles on their faces. "We'll, uh, leave you two to it," Melvin said, ushering Sarah out with the pastries.

Once alone, Rayna took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about what happened at the club and at the grocery store. I didn't mean to…"

Ethan looked at her, his jaw tight. "Forget it. Nothing's going to change. Let's pretend the ad never happened, and all those calls… let's forget them."

"But you told me you loved me," Rayna said softly, stopping him.

"I loved the version of you I didn't know was you," Ethan replied harshly. "It doesn't matter. I made a mistake. Let's forget it. I'm an unforgiving jerk, remember?"

Rayna's heart ached, but she refused to give up. "Please, Ethan. Can we just put this behind us? I messed up. I'm sorry. You said I'm your soulmate, remember?"

Ethan shook his head. "I told that to four other ladies too. You're not an exception. There was nothing special…"

"Don't, Ethan!" Rayna stopped him.

Ethan took a deep breath. "I don't hold anything against you. I'm not interested in you enough to hold grudges. I don't want someone like you in my life. You can move on, because I have. I'm meeting the next lady on my list," Ethan said, turning and walking away, leaving Rayna standing there.

She hadn't expected him to show up, listen, or make things easy. He was angry, and she now understood why, thanks to Melvin. She knew earning his forgiveness would take time, but she was determined to do it.