"A Morning of Confrontation"

Judd let Jay sleep on his bed while he slept in his chair that night, the discomfort a small price to pay for keeping Jay safe from his abusive family. As the night wore on, Judd's eyes occasionally drifted towards Jay, who lay motionless on the bed. Judd's mind was a jumble of emotions, but he knew he had to be strong for Jay's sake. The next morning, Judd was jolted awake by his mom calling out that breakfast was ready. He gently got up from the chair and approached Jay, who was slowly stirring. "Hey, Jay, it's time to wake up," Judd said softly. Jay's eyes fluttered open, and he looked around, still disoriented from the effects of the drugs. Judd helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water. "Don't worry, you're safe now. Just stay here for a minute, okay?" Jay nodded, still looking confused, but he didn't argue. Judd made his way downstairs, his stomach growling with hunger. As he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by the familiar sight of his family gathered around the breakfast table. His mom was pouring coffee, his dad was reading the newspaper, and his brother Nick was chatting excitedly with Leah. Judd initially considered grabbing a plate of food and heading back upstairs, but his parents' voices stopped him. "Judd, have a seat," his mom said, smiling. Judd didn't want to arouse suspicion, so he reluctantly sat down. The conversation that followed was the usual mundane chatter, with his parents and Nick discussing everything from school to sports. Judd tuned out, his eyes drifting towards his plate. However, his attention snapped back into focus when he heard Nick mention Jay's name. "You know Jay, he's come over a few times. He stayed over during spring break that one time. I haven't seen him at school at all this week," Nick explained. Judd's mom raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, that's weird. Leah, you should ask Val if Jay's sick." Leah was about to respond, but Judd beat her to it. "You should break up with that asshole. He's disgusting," Judd said, his voice loud and angry. The room fell silent, with all eyes turning towards Judd in shock. Leah's face quickly turned red with anger. "Judd, you don't control my life," she said, her voice rising. "I can date whoever I want." Judd was tempted to reveal Val's true nature, but he bit back his anger. Instead, he stood up, his plate still empty. "I'll be eating the rest of my food upstairs," he said, his voice cold. He quickly loaded up his plate with food and headed out of the kitchen, leaving his family staring after him in surprise. As he walked back to his room, Judd couldn't shake off the feeling that he had just set off a powder keg, and the explosion was inevitable. He entered his room, closing the door behind him, and found Jay sitting up in bed, looking at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "Hey, is everything okay?" Jay asked softly. Judd took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Yeah, it's fine. Just a family thing. You don't have to worry about it." Jay nodded, but Judd could see the uncertainty in his eyes. Judd walked over to the bed and sat down beside him. "You're safe now, Jay. I promise nothing bad will happen to you here." Jay looked at him, and for a moment, Judd thought he saw a glimmer of trust.