Harry Styles pays tribute to the late Liam Payne as One Direction mourns their loss.

After Payne died on Wednesday at the age of 31, his fellow 1D alum shared a heartfelt statement and reflected on his “most cherished years” performing with the group at the start of their respective careers.

“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to stand next to him as he did that,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.

“Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had a life energy that was contagious. He was warm, supportive and incredibly loving,” Styles said. “The years we spent together will forever be some of the most cherished years of my life. I miss him always, my dear friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and everyone around the world who knew and loved him, as I did. – Harry”

Payne died Wednesday at the age of 31 when he fell from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. La Nacion reported that Hotel Casa Sur staff had called police before the incident to report “an aggressive male who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”