Joey jerked the wheel sharply to the right. The flashing lights of the ambulance behind him only added to his feelings of urgency. He clenched his jaw tight as the vehicle sped around him, the wailing siren screaming through the eerily silent air. No one had expected this-Pennsylvania was known for the occasional snowstorm, but earthquakes? Not here.

He pulled towards the Palace hotel-the parking lot filled with cars. They'd probably been near capacity last night with the holidays coming up. Lights flashed from different emergency vehicles and firefighters, paramedics, and emergency personnel ran about with equipment. Stretchers emerged from the building-one after another-each carrying a person who was injured-though he couldn't tell how much.

They had long since decided to just be friends-their history for too weighted for either of them to understand, much less sort through, but she'd never be just a friend to him and, in his mind, he believed she felt the same.

Kelly was, and always would be, a part of him. She was the first woman to ever have his heart, and she'd hold a part of it forever. They were supposed to meet today-for lunch. She'd suggested noon and he'd countered with two. He had a meeting with a prospective client.

It was 12:45 now and he couldn't help but think he would have been with her if he'd only accepted her offer. As he finally found an available spot and climbed from the car, he began to survey the damage. Huge chunks of brick and concrete blocked the entrances and entire walls seem to have collapsed.

Workers stood outside mumbling about structural damage and he shuddered when he would of them mention the word collapse. Joey swallowed hard as his eyes searched the crowd. He'd called her cell phone nearly thirty times in the past twenty minutes and gotten nothing.

"Excuse me." He stepped toward an officer.

"Sir. I'm going to need you to step back behind the line, please."

"But I...I'm looking for someone...Someone staying in the hotel...I..."

"We still have 67 people unaccounted for. Right now we're trying to determine the safest way to get as many people out of there as we can. We can't do that without your cooperation. Now, please...get back..."

"Could you just..." He stopped as the officer stepped away. He wanted to scream, but his voice would just be one of many. The cries of the crowd behind him seemed to grow louder with each passing moment. He glanced down at the phone again, ready to dial the number again as his eyes fell upon the side door.

There was no hesitation. He had no choice. As he stepped into the darkened hallway, he could see the emergency lights in the distance. The floor was soaked, and he looked up to see the sprinkler systems had been activated.

Joey stepped through the standing water, happy to find the door to the stairwell was open. He stepped inside, the dark room unnerving to his senses. His hand groped for the banister as he began the slow descent up the stairs.

"Kelly," he called out.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the entrance to the third floor.

"Kelly," he called again. "Can you hear me?" He listened again, his body leaning into the hallway.

"Kel," he called again, the desperation now becoming evident. Still nothing.

He stood still for another long moment, unable to move, afraid to breath-afraid that any noise might drown out the soft cry he prayed he would hear. He needed to be rational and he knew it, but his feelings for Kelly were anything but. Leaving this building without her-without knowing where she was or if she was okay-it seemed impossible.

Still he forced his feet to move as he turned to move down the stairs. The side door was jerked from his hand as he pushed on it. The paramedic on the other side looked stunned and immediately began reaching out to him.

"I'm fine," he muttered quickly. "I wasn't in the building...I just went in to...I was looking for someone."

"No one is allowed in the build..."

"I know," Joey snapped. "I'm out now...ok? It's fine." He turned walking away towards his car. Hoards of people swarmed around him in nearly every direction yet he was certain he had never felt so alone.

"My God, Joey," a voice called out.

His eyes lifted.

Kelly rushed towards him, disheveled for sure, but alive.

"I...umph.." The word literally fell from her mouth as he pulled her towards him. He squeezed her tight for a moment, then she felt him relax, his hands trembling as they slowly slid up to her face.

"I'm sorry," he stammered. "I was just...I was so worried about you. All the reports of the damage and then when I got here and saw the building...I couldn't find you and..." He looked into her eyes then, his own words stalling. He couldn't describe it-the feeling-the panic, the dread, the total and complete sense of loss. To lose someone that you love so completely..so deeply was just...

"I love you," he said simply, taking a breath before adding, "I know I'm not supposed to say that. I'm not supposed to feel that, but I do. I love you and I'll never stop. I can't."

Kelly opened her mouth to speak. "Joey, I..."

"Before you say anything, Kel...I just want you to know that I understand, ok? I know it's too complicated. I get it. I'm not asking you to say anything or do anything and I'm not expecting you to feel anything. I just need you to know this. When I was running up those stairs in there...looking for you...screaming your name...All I could think about was everything I might never get to say. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had the chance right now and I didn't tell you how I felt. And so, I guess I just want you to know...no matter what happens...no matter where you go...no matter who you're with..I'll always love you."

"What if I want to be with you?"

Her voice was quiet, so quiet in fact that for a moment he was certain he'd misunderstood.

"What?" he said, blinking hard.

"What if I want to be with you?" she repeated, louder now...a smile beginning to form across her face. The same smile that had captured his heart years ago.

"I..." His breath escaped in a loud spurt, catching in his throat. "You mean?"

"Joey," she smiled, "Do you honestly think I enjoy going to photography exhibits? Do you think I plan my weekends around the local gallery showings?"

"I thought...I guess I just thought..." He shook his head.

"I go for you...to be with you...and yes, I am your friend, but that's only because I thought that was what you wanted. You will never be just a friend to me. You are my first love-that never goes away."

The moment was broken by screams echoing through the air as people rushed back towards the parked cars. The sound of breaking glass and crashing debris was deafening.

As the dust cleared, Joey looked up as Kelly moved from under his protective embrace.

"My God," she said softly, as her eyes fell on the remnants of the Palace. "I can't believe it's gone." She looked up towards Joey, reaching out to find his hand, clutching it tightly in hers. "We had so many memories there."

Joey nodded. "The memories are still here," he whispered, kissing her hand softly before bringing it to rest over his heart.