A/N: I am amazed with the reaction to this story, but I'm not complaining. I'm SO happy that all of you enjoyed it. It really means a lot that you took the time out to tell me what you thought. So thank you bunches and bunches!

Without Further Ado…

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Help Me Fall

Chapter Two: In a State of Confusion

"Are you going to let me in or do I have to stand out here all night?" He asked in his normal cocky tone.

"What is this? Some sort of way to repair your ego from my rejection?" She spat at him.

She was building her wall… she refused to let a man like Patrick Drake in. But him showing up at her doorstep this early in the morning… it was sweet and adorable. But she didn't want him to be adorable. She didn't want to fall for him. But she was and she felt it. Yes he was an arrogant, pompous jerk who was conceited and thought he was God's gift to women. But it certainly wasn't a secret how handsome he was and he, for some reason unknown to her, wanted to take her on a date. But he didn't know her secret. Which was surprising since it seemed everyone in town knew just who Robin Scorpio was. She was the girl with HIV. She was trying to save herself the pain of him finding out and running away from her, leaving her standing on the ledge alone. Just like all of the other men in the past had. She was alone, had been for awhile and she was alright with it… to some extent. She missed having the male companionship, someone to wake up next to in the morning and sleep next to at night. But could Patrick Drake really be that guy? With every brick that she laid in the wall she was building, Patrick demolished another one and she was having no success, moving no where. It was moments like this that she realized what a great guy he really could be when he put his mind to it.

"What do you want Patrick?" She knew what he wanted. He wanted a date with her and she would never give him the satisfaction and say yes. As much as she wanted to let all of her reservations about being with a man like Patrick go, she couldn't She was terrified that she would put her heart out there and get it handed back to her, broken. She wasn't entirely sure that Patrick wanted her for her or if he just considered her another one of his conquests.

He had asked her out earlier that night and she had rejected him, against her will and she had regretted it almost immediately. And now here he stood at her front door at one thirty in the morning, with that same cocky smile plastered all over his face. He knew he was getting to her, and he was right. She had rejected him earlier but she wasn't sure she would be able to do it again.

"I want a date." He stated simply. "You shot me down before and I'll admit… I felt sorry for you for a brief moment." He gave a mischievous smile. "So here I am. Which I know just made your night since you were just in there, warming up some leftover dinner and thinking about the mistake that you had just made." He was so sure of himself.

"What makes you think it was a mistake?"

"Ouch. That hurt. But you see, I know you better than you think I do, and that kills you." He walked past her and into her apartment, leaving her standing at the door with her mouth hung open. "I don't know what it is about you Scorpio, but I just can't help myself."

"Well you can help yourself right back out the door to your car and to your own apartment."

"Come on… is that what you really want?" There was the million dollar question. Did she want him to leave? Did she want him to stay? Did she want to let herself fall for him? Was she able to fall for him?

"Patrick it's been an extremely long day full of stress and nonstop working, on top of playing your game…unwillingly, I might add. Will you please just leave? I'm just not in the mood and I don't have the energy…"

"You want me to leave…fine. I'll leave but I will eventually get what I want." He walked to the door and turned back toward her. "You can't stay locked up in your apartment and buried in your work forever. Eventually, you will have to come up for air and when you do," he paused, "you know where to find me."

She stood for a moment watching him climb into his fancy Mercedes and drive away before closing the door and returning to the kitchen, finishing putting what few groceries she had away. She hated knowing that the smug Patrick Drake could read her like a book. She didn't want him to know her. She didn't want him snooping around in her life. He would regret it and what little bit of pleasure she herself got out of their game, would disappear.

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He stormed through the doors of Kelly's, up the stairs, and into his room, slamming his door. What the hell had he been thinking? She had said no…why couldn't he have just left it at that? There were plenty of other women he could have asked out tonight and they wouldn't have turned him down. But there was something about Robin. Something he couldn't quite understand. For years, he had been the player, never sticking with a woman for more than a couple weeks. Now he found himself chasing after only one woman, and she wasn't falling for any of his ways. How much longer would he chase after her? Would she ever come around or was he fighting a losing battle?

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