Don't you dare
- its.brittanyb
- Oct 16
- 12 min read
“Then get on your knees, baby. I’m about to fuck your face until you can’t breathe.”
REVIEW
Would I read this again? Yes No Maybe
Spice Level Legend How spicy is this book?
SUMMARY
Want to just skip to the spice? I got you - 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 38
Keene and Aspen have been best friends literally their entire lives. They grew up next door to each other and their parents are friends. One night during their senior year of high school, they are at a friend's house, just hanging out, playing a version of truth or dare. Or as they call it “Don’t you dare?” - really no option for truth. One of their mutual friends dares Keene to kiss Aspen. They do it - because who can turn down a dare - and Keene is shocked to find out that he likes it. Like really likes it. Then he’s a little confused. Does he like kissing boys? Or just Aspen?
Fast forward to sophomore year in college, Aspen and Keene are sharing an apartment. They are still best buds, even though Keene is hiding the fact that he thinks he has a thing for Aspen and definitely thinks he's gay. Aspen hasn’t dated anyone but he does have a long term friends with benefits girl. Unfortunately for Keene, their rooms share a wall, and their walls are thin.
Since the boys live together and are besties, of course some people are going to call them gay no matter what. At the end of freshman year, one of the dudes, Avery, on Keene’s baseball team started calling them boyfriends. It doesn’t bother Aspen, not really, but he’s getting kind of sick of it.
One night, they go to a party. There’s beer pong going on and Aspen and Keene happen to be really good at it. They’re so good, they can’t seem to lose. So their opponents, two girls one being one they knew from high school, suggest upping the ante by playing their high school game. As their final dare, one of the girls dares Aspen and Keene to kiss. Keene panics. Aspen is like okay yeah fine easy, I’ve done that before. He reaches for Aspen and Aspen shoves him away. He accidentally shoves him too hard, he goes flying into the table next to them, flipping it over. Aspen is like WTF. Some of Keene's teammates start laughing that Aspen got rejected by his boyfriend publicly. Keene starts to say something but Aspen tells him to STFU and leads him out of the party. They get back home and Aspen starts questioning him. Keene is still trying to hide his true feelings. His phone goes off and Aspen starts asking him if he is seeing someone. Aspen knows Keene is hiding something and won’t let it go. Finally, Keene snaps and says he didn’t want to kiss Aspen and have it mess him up all over again. Aspen is like what are you talking about, mess you up how. Keene won’t answer and his phone makes another noise. Aspen grabs it and sees that Keene is getting messages from an app called Toppr (gay version of Tinder). Aspen is confused. He has known Keene his entire life and all of a sudden Keene is saying he might be into dudes? Keene goes into his room and shuts the door, shutting Aspen out. Aspen tries to get in but Keene ignores him. And ignores him all weekend. Aspen is respectful, thinking Keene needs space and gives it to him.
Keene finally messages him. Even though they are sharing a wall, texting is easier sometimes. Aspen says he just wants to be there for Keene and then asks him if he has tried sexting with a guy, trading dick pics and stuff. Keene says “don’t you dare?” then dares Aspen to send a dick pic. Aspen says I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Then asks for a picture from right now. Keene says ok..but same, he wants a brand new picture. He sends a picture and then they start sexting. Aspen ends up calling him, telling him he can hear him through the wall and then talks him through until he cums. The next day, Keene realizes that Aspen never sent a picture. And Aspen realizes that his feelings are confused - he loves Keene, they are besties, but last night, he realizes he wants Keene. Now he’s worried everything will be all awkward between them.
So Aspen avoids him all week. Which isn’t too hard with their class schedule and Keene’s baseball. On Friday, Aspen has decided to ask his friends-with-benefits chick out on a date and Keene is shocked to find him dressed up in a button up shirt and nice jeans. Aspen doesn’t go on dates so Keene is like what are you doing. They kinda argue about it a little. Keene is just confused and Aspen is confused over his feelings.
On the date, Aspen is super awkward and Bristol (the girl) is super blunt and was like what are we doing exactly? Aspen says he’s just trying to figure himself out and Bristol is like that's great, but I don’t want a relationship, so until you figure yourself out maybe we shouldn’t bang anymore. Then they have a lovely dinner where neither one of them are uncomfortable because they know it's just as friends.
Instead of going home, Aspen goes to a bar and gets shit faced. Some of Keene’s teammates call him and tell him to come get his buddy. At home, Keene tries to get Aspen to go to bed, but Aspen gets all weird and lays down on the couch. Keene sits on the couch and ends up dozing off. When he wakes up (aka Aspen kicks Keene because he’s snoring), they end up in a weird stare off. Then Keene thinks fuck it and then they end up making out and grinding off on each other. Aspen thoroughly enjoys himself but right after he thinks oh shit what have we done this is my best friend. Keene gives him space for a few days but by day 3, Aspen is done with that.
Aspen tells Keene he doesn’t want to want him like that because he doesn’t want to risk their friendship but that Keene should explore his new found gayness. Keene says he isn’t a random hookup kind of person like Aspen is and that the only person he really trusts is Aspen. Aspen’s like okay…use me then. Keene is shocked and was like wtf you on about? Aspen says “don’t you dare. I dare you to suck my dick.”
They agree to some rules. They only do what’s comfortable for each other, no fucking around with anyone else, maintaining their friendship at all costs, being honest, and stopping before it can ruin what they have. Aspen tells him that at first he was a little confused about his attraction to Keene but hey, it felt really good, and sex is sex, YOLO basically. And then…Keene blows his best friend.
Keene and Aspen have an annual summer trip. Usually hiking, catching some MLB games. Aspen is the planner and he has planned out this summer's trip - hiking in Utah and Colorado and seeing a Rockies game. He’s also planned a surprise for Keene’s birthday. They will spend a few nights in a glamping tent.
A few months pass by and Keene is realizing that he is into guys, not just Aspen. But the more time he spends with Aspen, the less time he even thinks about anyone else. He even deletes his Toppr profile because he doesn’t feel right talking to other guys. Although, there’s really only one he’s been talking to - balls4lyfe. He knows this dude is in his college and plays sports but that’s all he knows. Before he deletes his profile, he sends a message to this guy telling him that he’s enjoyed their conversation but that he has started seeing someone. After he hits send, he notices that the profile is online, and the location says “Within .1 miles”. And where is Keene right now? On a bus with his baseball team. So whoever balls4lyfe is - is on his team.
During this trip away, Keene gets a baseball to his ribs. He gets the wind knocked out of him and a nasty bruise. In the locker room, the pitcher, Avery, gets up in his face. Blaming Keene for the game they just lost and making lots of homophobic remarks. When he gets home, Aspen is instantly up in his grill about his injury. Keene is like I’ve been hurt before. But Aspen thinks that Keene wasn’t his when he got hurt before. So he babies him. They end up falling asleep together in Aspen’s bed and when they wake up cuddling, Aspen realizes he really likes Keene in his bed with him. They end up fooling around and then having sex for the first time.
Keene realizes that he definitely wants more than just his friendship with Aspen. He’s nervous because what if Aspen doesn’t feel the same way? What if it ruins their friendship? They both act a little weird around each other the next day - Keene because of his newly realized feelings, Aspen basically the same but he’s also worried he hurt Keene while having sex. Aspen is also in his own head that he is going to hurt Keene emotionally. Aspen doesn’t believe that he is someone who can be in a relationship. He’s convinced he isn’t emotionally equipped.
Aspen calls his ex-hook-up-turned-friend Bristol to talk. She comes over to hang out. Tells Aspen that she is also bisexual and that she is shocked that he is “finally coming out”. She had a feeling and she isn’t shocked at all to find out that him and Keene are hooking up. When she asks if they’re in a relationship, Aspen says it's just casual. She responds, “You’re trying an emotionless, no-strings style hook-up with your best friend?” She starts laughing and tells him this is going to blow up in his face so badly. She tells him that they could be the best thing for each other or Aspen will destroy Keene when he won’t let him in emotionally. She tells Aspen that he needs to not build walls where there aren’t any, don’t hide from Keene now, don’t be awkward, just keep being normal and get out of his own head. He makes a comment that he doesn’t know how to be in a relationship, he’s never been in one. She tells him he just needs to show Keene that he cares.
The next month, Aspen takes Keene on a weekend away. Keene is further shocked when Aspen doesn’t shy away from holding his hand or kissing him in public. Aspen then takes him down to the beach and sets up his camera. Keene is a little annoyed because Aspen takes pictures of him all the time but never of himself or them together. Aspen surprises him by running at him and jumping into his arms so that the camera starts taking pictures of the two of them together. Aspen notices that the beach is empty, except for one surfer in the water alone. (If you’ve read Head Above Water, you know this surfer).
Keene has a realization when they get back to the house they’re staying at. He loves Aspen. He is in love with Aspen. And he (thinks) knows that Aspen doesn’t feel the same way. After they have sex, Keene starts to cry, so he escapes into the bathroom so Aspen won’t see him. But Aspen knows there’s something wrong.
Weeks later, he texts Bristol and tells her he thinks there's something wrong, Keene has been distant and detached. To which she yells at him for letting it go on for so long without talking to her. She tells him to not give up on Keene.
In May, Keene’s baseball team have their Family Night at the last home game of the season. Aspen goes with Keene’s mom and sister. Aspen wants so badly to kiss Keene before the game but he doesn’t want to out them. Especially if it might hurt Keene’s baseball career.
In between innings, the team shows slideshows of players families that the players have put together. When Keene’s slideshow goes up, it starts playing pictures of him with his sister and his mom. Aspen looks down at the field and Keene is just staring at him. Then he hears gasps and looks up and sees the picture he took of them, kissing, at the beach, on the screen. Aspen starts fully freaking out and when he looks at Keene, he knows it wasn’t him, Keene looks just as shocked as Aspen feels. Then Aspen does the worst thing he could do - he runs. Keene chases after him - yup, leaves the field and everything during a game - to the parking lot. Aspen is waiting for him by his car, just pacing. Keene tries to reassure him this will be ok, it doesn’t have to be the end of what they’re doing. But Aspen gets pissed - he doesn’t care about his own life, he cares about Keene. What this will do to his future in baseball. Keene legit doesn’t care which makes Aspen more mad. They start fighting. Keene trying to profess his love, Aspen begging him to stop. Aspen telling him he can’t be what Keene needs and he isn’t right for him. Keene getting frustrated because Aspen won’t even try. Aspen tells him he can’t bear to hurt him but that’s all he feels like he does. Then he says, “I can’t just stand here and lie to you by saying I wouldn’t take it all back if I could.” Which fkin breaks Keene. Aspen starts to get in his car to leave and Keene tells him that this will be a line they won’t be able to come back from, if Aspen just walks away right now, they won’t ever be the same. And what does the dummy do? Gets in his car and drives away.
A week later, Aspen is at his moms house, hiding from the world. He finally breaks down and tells his mom he fucked up really good this time. His mom talks to him and tries to get him to understand that he and Keene have always had a bond that Aspen has had with no one else. All they really did was add sex into the mix. They already loved each other, protected each other, and were each other’s biggest supporters. Aspen is afraid because what if it doesn’t work out? (And you call this working out Aspen?…Dummy). His mom basically says you need to get your head out of your ass and fix this or you’re going to lose the love of your life.
Two months later, Keene is at his moms house, trying to avoid the world. And trying to avoid looking out of his window and seeing Aspen’s house. Although, Aspen isn’t there. He up and left a few weeks ago and didn’t tell anyone where he was going. Keene's sister decides it's time that Keene has stopped isolating, so she’s going to pester him. He ends up telling her an edited version of what happened, including he found out who put that picture in the slideshow - Avery. He also found out that Avery is balls4lyfe. Avery had figured out that it was Keene before they stopped talking on the app. Then Avery got super jealous when Keene stopped talking to him. So he somehow hacked into Keene’s computer and added the picture to the slideshow. Then got kicked out of school for all of the above.
Another month passes and Aspen is hurtling towards college campus to tell Keene hes sorry and he loves him and he majorly fucked up. He literally stands outside of Keene’s dorm building for hours, in the rain, waiting for him. Keene is not excited to see him at all. In fact, he’s livid. He calls Aspen out for being selfish and only thinking of himself and not leaning on Keene. Something that they’ve done their whole lives. Then he asks him where he went. Aspen admits he did their summer trip without him. Which hurts Keene even more. He shoves away from him but Aspen isn’t going to let him leave that quickly. He dares him to give this another try. He tells him he loves him, that he’s in love with him, and he was an idiot and how sorry he is, but he is begging for another chance. Keene tells him no. Keene already loved him, but his love wasn’t enough to make Aspen stay. Aspen broke Keene when he walked away from him right when Keene needed him the most and he just can’t do this again. Before he goes inside, he says just give me time.
Three weeks later, Keene goes to Aspen’s apartment. Aspen has spent the last three weeks giving Keene space….physically. He texts him good morning, random pictures, thoughts, and every night a “I love you” text. Which Keene has been ignoring.
Keene tells Aspen he has some ground rules, which Aspen agrees with immediately. Then he tells him he loves him too and Aspen can’t contain himself anymore and starts making out with him. Then he asks Keene to fuck him this time.
By November, Aspen asks Keene to move in with him. They had picked out the apartment together but with everything that had happened, Keene had moved into a dorm. He’s been staying almost every night at Aspen’s anyways so Aspen asks him to move in. Keene agrees and said he would have moved in that first night if Aspen would have just asked.
Four years later - Keene has been drafted onto an MLB team. It's Opening Day and Keene is planning on asking Aspen to marry him later.
