My track teammate and I secretly hook up after practice, but in our team chat he constantly brags about girls and tags another guy as his 'favorite bro'. When I confronted him in the locker room, he confessed he’s head-over-heels in love with me—and only puts on the straight-player act because his hyper-religious dad monitors his notifications. How do I survive this mind game?

First, exhale: he isn't playing you, he's playing survival defense against a terrifying home front. That doesn't make watching his macho group-chat theater hurt any less, but at least you know you’re fighting strict surveillance, not another rival. Being someone's hidden romance is heavy, especially when their cover story involves fake flirting right in front of your face. But here’s the reality: he doesn't need an Oscar-worthy performance about girls just to avoid raising suspicion. Neutral silence hides a queer relationship infinitely better than overcompensating like a desperate frat boy. Catch him between drills and set a hard boundary: "I've got your back on staying safe, but you don't need to invent fake hookups to do that. Dial the group-chat act down to zero, because watching it is wearing me out." Compassion for his closet is noble, but not at the expense of your own dignity. Run your own race first.