The Ride

Chapter Nine

Aubrey

More Life: a body of work that I'm creating to bridge the gap between major releases.

My intentions? To create a playlist to give you a collection of songs that become the soundtrack to your life.

I sat in the studio with 40. Drinking, smoking, listening to and piecing together features we just got back from Quavo, Travis Scott and Jorja Smith. Giggs had came through earlier to lay down his verse for No Long Talk. With my approval, all that was left was for 40 to mix, master and submit. Once the tour got started, I would drop a single or two then put out an official release date for my fans. Right now I didn't want there to be any pressure on us.

It took me going a little harder with the liquor and putting more blunts in rotation to keep me focused. Despite my efforts, my mind kept going back to the fact that I haven't spoken to Emilia since I spazzed out on her earlier.

While I had been in the middle of training with Johnny, James text me to let me know that Trenton had went back to the house with her, Gelo and Owen after they looked at prospective venues. I became heated instantly. There was something about me being thousands of miles away and a nigga I didn't know chilling in my house that just didn't sit well with me. With all that Em's been through, I'm extremely protective of her and my child. On top of that, I don't trust niggas that ain't my niggas anyway-especially around my wife.

Her telling me she was going out just added to my frustration. Making sure this tour was perfect, that the completion of More Life stayed on track, getting in and staying in tour shape, making sure my vocals were where they needed to be, being away from my family, missing them and feelings of guilt in being absent from my daughter were all stressing me out.

I guess I had expected her to show a little more respect for me and communicate, but at the same time, I shouldn't have spoken to her the way I did. I reacted off of impulse and didn't care about her feelings. She had every right to be mad at me. Attempts to call her went unanswered. She didn't reply to any of my text messages.

I deserved that.

Remembering that she was out with some girlfriends, I chilled out with that and FaceTimed her mom to talk to Madison before she put her to bed. Daddy's little girl always found a way to bring a smile to my face.

"You alright bro?" 40 asked, grasping my attention.

Figuring that I must have zoned out in my own thoughts, I sat up and rubbed a hand over my face.

"Yeah, I'm good," I took a long pull, held it then exhaled, "I just fucked up earlier and tryin' to figure out how to fix it."

"With Mil?"

I nodded and sighed deeply, "I don't wanna really talk about it, bro. Like I said, I'm just trying to figure out how to fix it. It's already hard enough with us being apart and me not being able to be with my baby girl. The last thing I need is for me and her not to be good."

"You try calling her? She ain't picking up, huh?"

"I did, but I know Em. She ain't fuckin' with me right now and she's out at an event with Lala, Ludacris' wife and some of her other home girls. Imma let her do her thing though. She needs that."

"Don't stress yourself out, bro. I know you got a lot going on between this project, the tour and your personal shit so let's just call this shit a night. Clear your head. Talk to your wife and your daughter. We'll pick back up tomorrow."

He stood up from the sound board he was working with and starting shutting the system down.

"We ain't gotta stop man-"