Louis Tomlinson on Not Accepting Liam Payne’s Death

“I am absolutely devastated by the passing of my wonderful friend Liam,” Niall wrote in a lengthy statement on Instagram. “It's just unreal. Liam had an energy for life and an infectious passion for his work. He was the smartest person in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.”

The “Slow Hands” singer went on to reminisce about the time he sang with Liam in One Direction.

“All the laughs we've had over the years, sometimes about the simplest things, keep coming back to me through the sadness,” Niall added. “We got to make our wildest dreams come true together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The connection and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in life.”

Niall, who had Liam and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy as a guest at his recent concert in Buenos Aires, he also detailed what it was like to see his friend for the last time.

“I'm so lucky to have seen him recently,” Niall wrote. “Unfortunately, I didn’t know that by saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I was saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking. My love and condolences go out to Jeff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thanks for everything, Peino. I love you, brother.”