Out-and-regretting-it comprehensive attendee Jayden Phillips turns his cast-iron plans for life upside-down by falling in love with private-school violinist Darren Peace, a sardonic boy with the craziest hair Jayden's ever seen.<br><br>But all is not what it seems, and Jayden's bullying problem becomes meaningless when he is confronted with what the music does to Darren. How do you stop a dangerous depression rooted in the same thing that makes someone what they are? Dark moods, blank apathy, and the undertow of self-loathing all simmer beneath Darren's dry and beautiful veneer, and Jayden feels powerless to stop them.<br><br>Then a mugging gone wrong takes the music forcibly away, and Jayden is finally given the chance to change Darren's life -- and, quite literally, his mind.

Vivaldi in the Dark

“Mother,” Scott interrupted. “Are you and Jeff going now?”


“In a moment,” she said briskly. “Once I have had it noted that I am not happy with this decision.”


“What decision?” Jayden interrupted.


Mrs. Peace raised an eyebrow at him and folded her arms. “Who are you?” she snapped.


“That’s Jayden,” Scott said, shaking his head at Jayden minutely.


“Jayden,” she echoed, and her eyes narrowed. “The boy Darren was visiting. Before.”


“My son has been attacked, suffered through emergency surgery, has nearly died, and is in the care of incompetent medical staff, because he has been visiting a comprehensive boy?”


Jayden bristled; Scott bristled faster. “Jayden’s a mate,” he snapped. “Just because he doesn’t go to St. John’s doesn’t mean Darren can’t fucking visit him. It’s nothing to do with Jayden that this happened!”


Chapter 89