Payne was laid to rest in England on Nov. 20, just over one month after his tragic death at age 31.
Cassidy and the “Strip That Down” singer were first linked in October 2022, and though they largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight, he occasionally appeared in photos and videos Cassidy shared to Instagram and TikTok.
“I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, ‘Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever 444,’” she wrote in a message featured in her Instagram. “My heart is shattered in ways I can’t put into words.
I wish you could see the huge impact you’ve had on the world, even as it feels so dark right now,” she wrote. “You are — because I can’t say were — my best friend, the love of my life, and everyone you touched felt just as special as I did.
None of this feels real, and I can’t wrap my head around this new reality of not having you here. I’m struggling to figure out how to live in a world without you by my side. Together, we got to be kids again, always finding joy in the smallest things.”
